Potential failure of illegal B.C. dam triggers state of local emergency

By declaring a state of local emergency, authorities can exercise emergency powers under the provincial Emergency and Disaster Management Act. (Handout)

Officials have declared a state of local emergency near Kamloops, B.C., where an illegally constructed dam has put more than a dozen residential properties under an evacuation alert.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued the emergency declaration Wednesday to enable local officials to mitigate the potential flood risk from the man-made dam that threatens to burst on Fadear Lake.

“This declaration enables prompt co-ordination of action or special regulation of persons or property to protect the health, safety, or welfare of people or to limit damage to property,” the regional district said in a statement.

The state of local emergency applies to Electoral Area “O” (Lower North Thompson), excluding the communities of Barriere and Chu Chua.

Fourteen properties along Fadear Creek, downstream from the dam, have been under an evacuation alert since Monday evening, when the provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship warned that the dam is “at risk of imminent failure,” the regional district said.

State of emergency

The failure could result in the uncontrolled release of water from the lake into the creek.

“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 evacuation alert said.

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 said.

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.

By declaring a state of local emergency, authorities can exercise emergency powers under the provincial Emergency and Disaster Management Act.

The district says those powers can be used to order residents to immediately evacuate their homes, to prohibit travel in the area and to allow authorities to enter private property if lives, property or the environment are at risk.

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

Who built the dam?

Colton Davies, a spokesman for Thompson-Nicola Regional District, said Tuesday that the 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, causing the lake level to rise.

“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.

Another unauthorized dam in the same area caused downstream damage in 2023, the ministry said.

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

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

With files from The Canadian Press