Mother Nature has watered down plans for hosting the upcoming BC Summer Games canoe/kayak competition along the Bedford Channel.

All the paddling events for the Surrey 2012 BC Summer Games were originally scheduled to be held in Fort Langley, but the high, fast-moving waters of the Fraser River forced organizers’ hands.

The majority of the canoe/kayak competition, originally planned for the Bedford Channel and Salmon River in Fort Langley, will take place at a different venue.

For several months, water levels had been watched, and about a week-and-a-half ago, a decision was made to move the competition aspect north of the Fraser.

However, the skills competition will still be held on the Salmon River in Fort Langley.

The Pitt Meadows Paddling Club, which uses the Alouette River, will host practice sessions on July 19 and the competition itself on July 20 and 21.

On July 22, a skills event will be held along the Salmon River, with the base at Brae Island in Fort Langley.

While Fraser waters are now receding, Games organizers have decided to err on the side of caution.

The river hit highs of around 6.4 metres at the Mission Gauge June 23 and 24, the highest in decades, and enough to have flooded some low-lying farms and riverside properties.

More than 100 Langley properties were placed under evacuation order during the freshet, but no one was injured and only a few buildings were flooded out.

The evacuation order has since been lifted, but the decision to move the Games competition is still firm.

The Games are being held July 19-21, with most of the competitions taking place in Surrey.