B.C. region under evacuation alert due to ‘risk of imminent failure’ of dam

More than a dozen properties near Kamloops, B.C., are under an evacuation alert due to the potential failure of an illegal dam.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued the alert Monday evening for 14 properties that are downstream from the Fadear Lake dam.

“The provincial Ministry of Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship has advised the TNRD that an unauthorized dam structure on Fadear Lake is at risk of imminent failure, which could result in an uncontrolled release of water from the lake into Fadear Creek,” the alert says.

“Based on the estimated volume of water, the province has recommended that an evacuation alert be implemented for properties immediately downstream of the lake to where Fadear Creek drains into Louis Creek.”

The regional district is urging residents in the alerted area to prepare to leave their properties on short notice.

“Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible prior to an evacuation order; however, you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions,” the district says.

Anyone in the area is advised to pack essential items, such as medications and government-issued identification, and arrange for transportation from the area in the event that an evacuation order is issued.

Fadear Lake is located about 13 kilometres north of the resort village of Sun Peaks.

Colton Davies, a spokesman for Thompson-Nicola Regional District, told The Canadian Press Tuesday that the man-made gravel dam is at the north end of Fadear Lake where the lake drains into Fadear Creek.

Davies said a couple of culverts within the dam have been blocked up, causing the lake level to rise.

“And that’s led to the situation now where the province is concerned about water potentially spilling over the top of this man-made dam,” said Davies.

He said the overflow could start to erode the dam and lead to an “uncontrolled” flow of water coming down Fadear Creek.

Davies said it’s “definitely an unusual situation” to see an unauthorized dam, and the regional district isn’t sure who built it, since dams are under the jurisdiction of the province.

“We’re just continuing to assess it regularly here, and working closely with the province to see what can be done in the immediate term,” said Davies.

The ministry told The Canadian Press there was another unauthorized dam in the same area that caused downstream damage in 2023.

When the ministry was notified of the latest dam, natural resources officers visited the site and determined there was an “imminent risk of overtopping.”

“Immediate steps being taken are assessing the risk and developing a plan of action,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The top priority is keeping people safe. An engineer is being contracted to assess the situation and prepare a plan for next steps.”

With files from Nono Shen of The Canadian Press