The District of Squamish has received a Spill Notice from BC Hydro informing of a planned spill release from the Cheakamus Dam.
The spill release will begin June 4 at 1 pm.
Total planned discharge is up to 250 cubic meters per second. BC Hydro is required to issue a Spill Notice when discharges are greater than 170 cubic metres per second. Rapid increases in water levels in the following 24 hours are possible. There is the potential for top of riverbank flows in bankfull conditions.
A Spill occurs when water is released in a controlled manner from the reservoir (“spilled”) through a dam’s spillway to control the reservoir level.
It is considered routine operations for BC Hydro to manage reservoir levels and not an emergency event for BC Hydro. No flooding is anticipated, but rivers may be flowing up to the tops of banks. If the flows increase to overbank flooding, BC Hydro will issue a “Flood Alert” notification.
It is recommended that people keep their distance from unstable riverbanks and stay off the rivers and waterways for at least 24 hours after the spilling begins.
A Squamish Alert notification has been issued to Paradise Valley residents.
