HISTORICAL NEWS SEARCH - Government of British Columbia

The cost for bank protection of Stone Creek for log home immediately downstream of the highway was $73,
178.49. Upstream, the cost of placing riprap at the base of a slope to protect a house was $4,422.87. The cost to remove
channel deposition of Wilson property on Bissett Creek was $10,738.04. (Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks
files).
At Hixon Creek riprap was required to armour the creek bend to protect property owners and highway yard.
Along Hixon and Naver creeks, riprap had to be repaired to protect the Magnussen home an access to several others.
(Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks files).
By June 13, the Fraser River started another rapid rise. At 8 a.m. the gauge at South Fort George reached
9.36 m. Around 11 a.m., it rose slightly to 9.37 m. The river was expected to crest sometime later on June 13 or early
on June 14. Gauge readings at McBride showed the river level had started dropping.
By June 13, a number of FSRs remained closed, including Bowron at km 54; Willow at km 30; McGregor-
Cargill at km 25; Chuchinka at km 22, and Walker at km 21.
At about 10:30 p.m. on June 11, a van carrying eight tree planters employed by Evergreen Forest Service
plunged off a partly washed out bridge on the Willow-Cale FSR, a remote forestry road about 150 km southeast of
Prince George. The van drove onto the wooden bridge over George Creek. Because of darkness and rain, the driver
probably failed to see that the far end had been washed out. Four survivors were airlifted to hospital in Prince George.
A helicopter-aided search on June 12 failed to locate four missing occupants carried away by the
floodwaters. Heavy rain, rugged terrain and dense bush hampered searchers. Access to the area was restricted due to
road washouts. RCMP announced that the search of the creek until the water level would subside. An unconfirmed
report indicated the van was found early on June 13. That same day, one body was located in a logjam. On June 15, the
official search for the three missing tree planters was called off. Police believed their remains had been swept further
downstream and that they would continue the search after water levels would recede.
The heavy rainfall caused flash flooding and erosion damage in the Dawson Creek area. (East Pine bridge-north to
the Peace River and south to Tumbler Ridge). Around June 12, parts of downtown Dawson Creek experienced “thigh-high”
water. On June 13, floodwaters subsided.
The Dawson Creek area flooding was caused by heavy rain whereas the other areas experienced damage due to a
combination of snowmelt and rain. The total cost of channel restoration, log clearing and repair work was estimated to be
$2,575,980. A further $883,080 was needed for enhancement work. (O.I.C. 919 Task No. 910077) Dates of flooding
occurred between May 28-June 30.
On the evening of June 12, the sudden melt caused Bevier Creek to overflow its banks about 5 km north of
McBride. The creek caused a slide described as a “wall of mud, boulders and snow.” At noon on June 14, a second and third
slide came down. According to PEP co-ordinator Bob Kelly, “Someone timed the last slide coming down and it took only
four minutes from the top of Monroe Mountain to hit the bottom of the highway.”
The slides severed dozens of families from town and cut their power lines. Highway maintenance crews had
temporarily cleared the road earlier that morning. At noon, it was covered with another “wall of mud and boulders as big as
cars shaking down.” In addition, the slide effectively blocked the creek. A 2-m. culvert put in after the 1986 slide was
demolished by the first fall of boulders. *1) It was reported on June 16 that dozens of homes were still without power.
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*1) At the end of May 1986, flood-related mudslides in the same area caused more than $1 million worth of damage.
June15-20, 1990
Event type: Spring runoff flooding.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: The Province, June 20, 1990; The Vancouver Sun, June 21, 1990; Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks
files.
Around the middle of June, the Skeena River spilled its banks, causing the evacuation of between 50-100
people in the Old Remo area.
Around June 19-20, residents of Old Remo returned to their homes after flooding caused minor damage to 30
homes during the previous week. In Terrace, a dozen homes on Skeena Street remained surrounded by sandbags.
June 28, 1990
Event type: Glacial outburst flood.
Precipitation: Not applicable.
Source: Clague and Evans 1992; Clague and Evans 1994 (p. 15).
On June 28, Tats Lake in the St. Elias Mountains drained. The moraine dam failure caused a flood and
debris flow. The outburst volume was estimated at 4,000 m 3 (Clague and Evans 1994).
September 27-October 3, 1990
Event type: Debris slides.
Precipitation: Pallant Creek (161.4 mm/4 days), September 27-30, 1990; Sandspit A (33.0 mm/1 day), October 1,
1990; Bella Coola (93.6 mm/3 days), October 1-3, 1990.
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