Flood Warning in B.C.'s Chilcotin River Region after Massive Landslide

Authorities in British Columbia have issued flood warnings and evacuation orders after a landslide created a large natural dam along the Chilcotin River. Officials are monitoring the situation closely as water levels rise, posing a risk to communities and impacting local salmon migration.

British Columbia authorities are on high alert for potential flooding along the Chilcotin River after a significant landslide formed a natural dam, triggering evacuation orders in the remote Canada-Pacific region, officials said on Saturday. Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma reported that, in the worst-case scenario, river flows could surpass peak spring levels, although they are likely to remain below usual freshet season levels along the Fraser River.

'This development is somewhat encouraging for downstream communities but we continue to work with local areas to prepare for any potential flooding,' Ma stated. The region has been under vigilant surveillance since Wednesday when a landslide obstructed the river in the Cariboo region, raising concerns about flooding risks.

On Friday, the B.C. government issued an evacuation alert for areas along the Chilcotin River and its banks from the Hanceville Bridge to the Fraser River. The landslide measures a kilometer in length, 800 meters in width, and 30 meters in height. Water levels behind the landslide have been rising by 22 centimeters per hour, according to government data.

The landslide could also affect wild salmon and other fish species typically migrating in summer and early fall. 'While there will be impacts on fish from this incident, preliminary assessments indicate that the majority of the Chinook run has already passed the landslide area,' noted minister Nathan Cullen. He added that authorities have four to seven days to devise plans for the returning sockeye salmon navigating up the Fraser River.

(With inputs from agencies.)