Watches And Advisories In Effect In Some Cariboo Watersheds

A flood watch is in effect for Moffat Creek South of Quesnel Lake near Horsefly.

Johnathon Boyd, Hydraulogist for the BC River Forecast Centre, said it went into effect Saturday, May 7) afternoon due to a combination of warm temperatures last week causing snowmelt followed by scattered participation which pushed flows up considerably.

“It had been an interesting sight because our modelling was showing even a week, or two weeks ago before the tendency to almost want to push flows higher, and higher, and higher. So eventually they did get up there, it got above the 5-year flow, it didn’t get up to the 10-year flow, and typically that 5 to 10-year flow is our designation when it goes from a high streamflow advisory to a flood watch. Not necessarily dramatically high. I don’t think any maybe significant flooding but certainly to a level where there can be maybe nuisance flooding or some challenges with some roads that may be close to the river.”

Boyd added that it was pretty consistent throughout the general area of the Cariboo for the lower elevation sites moving south to Bridge Creek near Deka Lake was flowing high and the same with the San Jose River.

“Certainly not to the level that we saw in 2018 from an early melt from very hot temperatures in early April and necessarily not the same extent we saw in 2020 when there was potential, stronger, heavier rainfall totals,” Boyd said. “The concern I guess moving forward is that should we continue with some of these unsettled patterns and have additional rain those areas could potentially go up more over the next few weeks.”

Boyd added that the San Jose River and Bridge Creek below Deka Creek are under a high streamflow advisory.

BC River Forecast Centre remind the public to stay clear of fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks during the high-streamflow period.