The District of Squamish has received a Spill Notice from BC Hydro informing the community of a spill release today from the Cheakamus Dam.
Total planned discharge is up to 170 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, and there is potential for top of riverbank flows.
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. This is a routine operations for BC Hydro and is not an emergency event.
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 the next 24 hours.
