Flash water flow in Interior highlights risks in areas burned by fires


BC is sending groundwater experts to Monte Lake to better assess what happened in the area and what future hazards caused by the White Rock Creek Fire in 2021.

Text content

Floods and mudslides that partially hit Lake Monte in the interior of BC highlighted the risk of such incidents in severely burned areas.

Notice 2

Text content

A.D. The district is sending groundwater experts to the lake to better assess what happened in the 2021 White Rock Creek fire and the threat to the area.

Heavy rains and snow on June 28 caused floods and mudslides, flooding two private camps and RV parks from Camps on Highway 97. The water and debris flooded parts of the highway that had been closed for hours. No one was hurt.

A series of investigative reports of flooding and debris in the postal media report in May highlighted the government’s efforts to protect communities from the effects of climate change and wildfires.

Notice 3

Text content

Kevin Screpneck, director of the Thompson-Nicola Regional Emergency Management Center, who visited the site last week, said the damage from the wildfire was certainly due to the fact that much of the sludge was left behind by the fire.

“It was a tragic hurricane. Heavy rains have hit the worst – in terms of structures – with surgical accuracy, ”Skrepnek said.

Floods and mudslides are usually limited to three to four miles north of Hawaii. 97, there.

Skrepnek said that the local government is limited in its scope for resolving the issue, as the property is private, as it is a regional authority such as the highway and the slopes above the highway.

Notice 4

Text content

The regional district has asked the region for a more detailed assessment of the incident and concerns, so the BC Forestry Ministry is sending a geophysiology team this week. Forest Ministry officials have confirmed that geomorphologists are interested in further research into the nature of the White Rock fire around Lake Monte.

Skrepnek says there has been more rain since last week but no further damage.

Wally Green, owner of Heritage Campus and Arvi Park outside Hawaii. 97 He said he had never seen heavy rain on Lake Monte in such a short time. He said the water, mud and debris that entered the camp were 700 feet wide and more than a foot deep, and that the camp was open for business after cleaning.

Notice 5

Text content

He said both sides of the valley were devastated by wildfires last winter, adding that he was not sure what to do to prevent floods due to heavy rains.

However, he added that there was no doubt that the forest fire was too small to absorb water.

A report released by the Ministry of Forestry in October last year stated that post-fire landslides were the most serious and moderate flooding in the Monte Lake area. The report said the property and structures on both sides of Lake Monte could be damaged by dangerous silt and landslides.

Experts say that when a fire burns a forest, hydrophobic – water-repellent – leaves the soil behind. Even after many years, rain and runoff do not enter the soil in the same way.

In Sikamos, another local community was warned of a mobile home park that was in danger of being hit by a wildfire last year.

ghoekstra@postmedai.com

twitter.com/gordon_hoekstra


More news, a few ads Thanks to the support of our subscribers for our in-depth journalism. For only $ 3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, light access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news outlets. Support us by subscribing to Vancouver Sun | The district.

Notice 1

Comments

Postmedia is alive but committed to protecting the public forum and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for mediation to appear on the site. We ask that your comments be appropriate and respectful. We have enabled email notifications – if you receive a response to your comment you will now receive an email, there is an update on the following comment line or a user who follows comments. Visit our Community Guide for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.



Articles You Might Like

Share This Article

More Stories

Get Your Forest Fire Alerts

We track wildfires and news from satellites, newsbots and Tweets