UPDATE: State of emergency remains for Quesnel residents
By Nelson Daily Staff
The state of emergency for the City of Quesnel remains in effect until further notice.
This comes after a landslide took place near Pinnacles Provincial Park, about three kilometres upstream from the mouth of the Fraser River.
The risk of a flash flood remains. The creek may appear to be at a low level downstream of the slide; this is deceiving and may change rapidly.
According to the city website, the slide may have occurred as early as June 28.
Officials remain confident the blockage will not collapse; it appears the creek is creating a new channel around the blockage.
The water flowing into the reservoir is exiting at approximately the same rate.
The risk of a flash flood remains. The creek may appear to be at a low level downstream of the slide; this is deceiving and may change rapidly.
Flash flood threatens Quesnel after slide on Baker Creek
Residents of Quesnel are urged to stay away from Baker Creek until further notice after a landslide took place near Pinnacles Provincial Park, about three kilometres upstream from the mouth of the Fraser River.
As a result the City of Quesnel declared a State of Local Emergency on Friday evening, a measure that helps the City quickly do work needed to protect homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
This will remain in effect until at least Monday morning.
Specialists from Emergency Management BC visited the site yesterday and provided the City with the following:
The slide may have occurred as early as June 28. There was a drop of water flow on the water reading gauge, which returned to normal a few hours later.
They are confident the blockage will not collapse.
The water flowing into the reservoir is now exiting at the same rate.
The depth of the water upstream of the blockage is estimated between 10 and 12 feet.
If a breach of the blockage was to occur, about 30 cubic metres of water would be released every
second; by the time it reached city limits, it would be about 25 cubic metres per second.
The average flow during flood season is about 40 cubic metres per second.
The risk of a flash flood remains. The creek may appear to be at a low level downstream of the slide; this is deceiving and may change rapidly.
