Community Update #4: Poole Creek / Gates Lake Flood and Debris Flood

News date
Applicable communities
Electoral Area C

The SLRD held a virtual town hall on Thursday, August 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to update the community on the SLRD's EOC response and next steps and share an update on the preliminary hazard assessment. View a recording of the Town Hall on the SLRD’s YouTube channel. 

 

Contractors from Stantec, including Senior Hydrotechnical Engineer Graeme Vass and Geoscientist Graeme Knibbs, presented an overview of the glacier lake outburst that initiated a debris flood and resulted in a realignment of Place Creek into Gates Lake, instead of its previous alignment into Poole Creek. 

Overland flooding due to the debris flood event resulted in an emergency response to ensure public safety along the southwest end of Gates Lake. A drainage ditch has been excavated along the north extent of BC Hydro’s right-of-way to convey the overland flow into an existing, unnamed channel. Gabion bulk bags have been placed adjacent to this drainage channel to mitigate more overland flooding potential. 

In order to administer this flood-protection work in accordance with provincial emergency response legislation, the SLRD declared a State of Local Emergency (SOLE) for Electoral Area C at 8 a.m. on August 1, 2024. The SLRD has not issued an Evacuation Order, and the overall hazard risk assessment for the Gates Lake area has not changed. An Evacuation Alert for eight properties remains in place.

In regards to ongoing flood and debris flood hazards, the landslide (i.e debris flow) hazard is considered low. With the glacier lake now empty Stantec is reporting they do not anticipate another outburst event in the immediate future (i.e. prior to winter).

Hot summer weather and rainfall events may exacerbate flows from glacial runoff. This increases the bank erosion potential within the new Place Creek alignment. Emergency response works have been taking place to prioritize the immediate safety and wellbeing of the public and are intended to mitigate this hazard for the immediate future (i.e. prior to more extreme rain events that historically occur during the fall).

A detailed assessment of long-term flood and debris flood hazards posed to Gates Lake by the realignment of Place Creek are ongoing and Stantec will continue their work in partnership with the SLRD to determine next steps.

In addition to the update from Stantec, SLRD staff provided an update on the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) activation in response to this event, and next steps.
The SLRD will continue to work with the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) to fund a qualitative flood and geohazard risk assessment. Included in this will be the discussion to determine the best course of action including the potential to realign the flow of Place Creek back into Poole Creek. This would entail a funding request to the Province as an emergency public safety measure. The SLRD is also working through EMCR to ensure that the relevant provincial and federal departments lead work to protect salmon habitat.

Community members who are experiencing impacts that are not related to safety are encouraged to connect with their insurance providers as soon as possible. The SLRD will update the community with more information on long-term solutions once the Stantec flood and geohazard risk assessments are conducted. 

The SLRD continues to monitor the current conditions and weather forecast for the area. Residents are advised to use caution in the area and avoid streambanks and water channels. There is the potential for increased sediment and stream bank instability in these areas. If you witness signs of slope instability or debris flood, please contact the SLRD at 604-894-6371 (toll-free at 1-800-298-7753), or by email at info@slrd.bc.ca

Reminder: Evacuation Alerts and Orders are issued through the SLRD's Emergency Alert Notification System; sign up here to receive alerts by email, text, or phone.

Emergency preparedness reminders:

  • Know the hazards – knowing what hazards you need to plan for is the first step 
    to being prepared.
  • Visit the FireSmartBC to learn how to make your property resilient to wildfire. The SLRD Wildfire Mitigation Team is on standby, ready to help. Book your Free FireSmart Assessment by email at firesmart@slrd.bc.ca or by phone at 604-384-7323.
  • Make an emergency plan for yourself, all members of your household and your pets.
  • Prepare your emergency supplies and build your kits:
  • Ensure you have supplies, including food, water and necessary medicines, for at least 72 hours.
  • Research insurance options and ensure your plan is up-to-date.
  • Evacuation routes: understand how you will leave the area.
  • Evacuation and recovery resources- Learn what happens in evacuations, what financial assistance you might be eligible for and other recovery resources.

Stay Informed: In an emergency, misinformation is dangerous. Get your information from official sources, and make sure you have access:

Applicable service
Emergency Management
Notice type(s)
Emergency Notice