The summer wildfires could throw a wrinkle into any potential for flooding in the North Cariboo this year.
Sylvain Gauthier, Quesnel’s Emergency Services Coordinator, says the snowpack in the Upper Fraser is at 145 percent of normal right now, and with a normal melt that shouldn’t be enough to cause concern.
But he says they’re not really sure how the fires will impact things this year…
“Basically now with all these trees being dead it’s not going to consume as much moisture, so more than likely more of that melting snow will end up in our rivers which could create a higher water level this year, but until we get closer to the time we won’t know what the situation will be.”
Gauthier says despite a higher than normal snowpack, he’s not worried about flooding right now as long as the melt remains slow…
“Unless we get something unexpected, heavy rain or high, high temperatures, right now, we’re good, we’re OK but it’s something that we’re going to keep an eye on it and at the end of the month we should have a better idea with the temperatures and everything what to expect.”
The water levels usually start to escalate at the end of April or into early May.
The next snowpack readings will be at the beginning of May.