The B.C. government says it's keeping a close eye on river flows as a "big pulse" of debris and sediment-laden water is expected to work its way down to the Fraser River after a massive landslide dammed the Chilcotin River last week. A clogged area of the Chilcotin River is shown in an Aug.2, 2024 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Government of British Columbia **MANDATORY CREDIT**
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. – British Columbia officials say there is a risk of more landslides and bank erosion as a large lake of water and debris flows past a landslide that blocked the Chilcotin River for days.
The latest provincial update says a “significant amount of instability and bank failures” have been observed along the Chilcotin River from the confluence of the Fraser River to the site of the massive landslide.
Videos shared by the Tsilqot’in National Government show a small cabin, whole trees and chunks of the riverbank washing away in the fast-moving river.
The provincial update says officials haven’t confirmed if the water flows that moved over the blockage on Monday have peaked, and it’s possible that there may be another surge as the water moves through unstable sediments.
It says there is significant wood debris moving in the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers
Connie Chapman with the province’s water management branch said the pulse of water after the dam breached Monday morning will make its way toward the Fraser River, and modelling shows it will reach the community of Hope sometime today.
Chapman said some places will see river levels swell to those comparable to a spring runoff, flowing down through the Fraser Canyon to Hope, which will see river levels increase about one metre.
She said once the water enters the Fraser River, it will have more room to spread out and officials will be monitoring how and where debris from the water pulse ends up.
Water and Resource Minister Nathan Cullen said experts from the province, First Nations and Canada’s Fisheries Department “worked tirelessly” on the response to the landslide, which entered a “new phase” once it breached on Monday.
Cullen said they were preparing for “all possibilities,” and though the risks are decreasing after the dam breach, the possibility of more landslides due to unstable slopes remains “a real concern.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 6, 2024
