A return to Mount Meager—this time focusing on risk reduction, sediment hazards, and what can be done to protect downstream communities. Jeff talks with resilience researcher Veronica Woodruff about sediment‑rich rivers, engineered logjams, and the human side of hazard mitigation.

Whimsical Wavelengths: deep‑dive conversations where a working scientist unpacks how we know what we know, one paper, one idea, or whimsical detour at a time.

Two weeks ago, Dr. Glyn Williams‑Jones walked us through Meager’s eruptive history and why the mountain is unstable due to geothermal alteration, permafrost melt, and retreating glaciers. It's the the site of Canada’s largest recorded landslide.

Today, we shift from volcanic behaviour to risk reduction, exploring what can be done to protect downstream communities like Pemberton from increasing sediment loads, changing river dynamics, and rising flood hazards.

Our guest, Veronica Woodruff—environmental professional, resilience researcher, and UVic alum—joins Jeff to discuss how hazards, sediment, and human decision‑making intersect in the Lillooet River system. Veronica’s work focuses on the human side of natural hazards: communication, community resilience, and the challenge of turning scientific data into meaningful action.

We dig into how the 2010 landslide dramatically increased sediment supply, creating braided channels, altering flow paths, and raising flood risk. With climate‑driven changes to snowpack, melt timing, and extreme rainfall, these challenges are only growing.

A major focus of this episode is mitigation—what can actually be done. We explore a range of strategies, from behavioural changes to engineered solutions, including one of the most promising tools: engineered logjams (ELJs). These structures mimic natural wood accumulations, slowing water, trapping sediment, and helping stabilize channels without over‑engineering the landscape. ELJs are emerging as a key approach for reducing long‑term flood hazards in sediment‑rich rivers like the Lillooet.

Topics Covered

• Mount Meager’s instability and geologic setting
• The 2010 landslide and its long‑term impacts
• Sediment hazards, braided rivers, and flood risk
• Human modifications to river systems
• Risk communication and community resilience
• Engineered logjams as a mitigation strategy
• How to advocate for proactive hazard reduction

Guest Veronica Woodruff — environmental professional, resilience researcher, and advocate for community‑driven hazard mitigation.

Veronica's book: "BLIND DRUNK A sober look at our boozy culture"

Links

Previous episode

Veronica & Glyn’s Whistler talk

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