A local emergency has been declared by a regional district in the interior of British Columbia due to a potentially hazardous illegal dam. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has raised an evacuation alert for 14 properties downstream from the dam and has initiated emergency measures to reduce the risk of flooding.
The unauthorized dam located on Fadear Lake is at risk of failure, leading to an uncontrolled release of water into Fadear Creek, approximately 45 kilometers northeast of Kamloops. Residents living near Fadear Creek were advised on Monday to be prepared for a swift evacuation in light of the imminent threat posed by the dam.
The district has enforced a state of emergency for the Lower North Thompson area, granting authorities the power to evacuate residents, restrict travel, and access private properties in situations where lives or properties are in jeopardy. According to a district statement, this declaration facilitates swift coordination of actions to safeguard people’s well-being and property.
Colton Davies, a spokesperson for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, revealed that the dam, positioned at the north end of Fadear Lake, is experiencing blockages in a couple of culverts, leading to a rise in the lake’s water level and the risk of overflow. The origin of the dam remains uncertain, with Davies acknowledging the challenging accessibility of the lake but not ruling out human intervention in its construction.
The Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship emphasized the priority of ensuring public safety and has engaged an engineer to evaluate the situation and devise a plan for addressing the imminent threat posed by the dam.
