“High Water – Living with the Fraser Floods” has been selected to receive the prestigious Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for the best historical writing published in BC during 2006. The book was researched and written by Dr K Jane Watt of Fort Langley and published last summer by the Dairy Industry Historical Society of BC.
“High Water” is a hard cover, 330 page volume that describes living with the great floods of the Fraser River. It is, at heart, a book about home and the struggle of outsiders to create home on the floodplain of the Fraser since the 1870’s. It is about the relationship between historic floods, especially 1894 and 1948, and the communities of the Fraser Valley.
The floods of 1894 and 1948 were devastating to the region. There are important lessons to be learned from these early experiences – lessons that are especially relevant today as the high snow pack of the Fraser basin again threatens to exceed the capacity of the Fraser River dyking system to contain the spring freshet of melt water flowing to the Pacific. Flooding similar to those great floods would be catastrophic to the economic and social well-being of the entire Fraser Valley.
The book chronicles early records of high water in this region, contains hundreds of previously unpublished photographs, and captures the personal stories of people who lived with and survived the great floods.
The award will be presented to the author and the Society by the Lieutenant Governor at the BC Historical Federation’s Annual Conference at Government House in Victoria on May 11th.
The book was marketed directly by the Dairy Industry Historical Society and is available at numerous retail outlets throughout the region. For further information about the book, the award or retail locations, contact any of the following.
- Dr K Jane Watt, Author “High Water” email kjwatt@telus.net
- Walter Goerzen, President, Dairy Industry Historical Society of BC 604-850-4851
- Gerry Adams, Director and Chair, Book Project 604-859-5491
Dairy Industry Historical Sociey of BC
Walter Goerzen, President
46400 Stevenson Road, Chilliwack, BC V2R 3S6
wgoerzen@telus.net
