A bird’s eye view of the Nazko area April 18, 2020. (Teresa Sharp photo)

A bird’s eye view of the Nazko area April 18, 2020. (Teresa Sharp photo)

BREAKING: Spring flooding wreaking havoc on Cariboo Chilcotin roads

Washouts have closed Nazko Road, Spokin Lake Road and Little Greeny Road

DriveBC is reporting several road and lane closures in the Cariboo region caused by spring flooding.

Highway 59 (Nazko Road) is closed due to flooding 10 kilometres north of Nazko. There is an assessment in progress.

Spokin Lake Road is closed due to flooding with a washout at 10 kilometres from Horsefly Road. Estimated time of opening not available, with an assessment in progress.

Soda Creek – Macalister Road continues to be closed in both directions due to a mudslide at 10 kilometres from the junction of Highway 97. There is no estimated time of reopening.

Further south, flooding between North Bonaparte Road and Kazoo Road has closed Little Green Lake Road. Estimated time of opening not available. An assessment in progress.

On Highway 97, 30 kilometres north of Wildwood between Quesnel and Williams Lake, there is flooding at Beaver Lake Road which has reduced traffic to single lane alternating.

Read More: Warm temperatures bring spring flooding to Cariboo region

DriveBC is also reporting flooding 15 kilometres south of Hixon between Naver Creek Road and Meadow Creek.

Flooding on Highway 97 at Wutke Road (one km south of 100 Mile House) is also being reported by Drive BC. South entrance is closed due to flooding.

Flooding is also occurring in the Williams Lake Indian Band’s community of Sugar Cane with Mission Road being impacted.

The BC River Forecast Centre updated its flood watch to a warning Monday, April 20, for the Nazko/West Road River and maintained a flood watch for the Cariboo Chilcotin (Fraser Plateau) including tributary rivers and streams around Chilako, Prince George, Williams Lake, Quesnel, Alexis Creek, Anahim Lake, Cache Creek and surrounding areas.

Reported river conditions Monday included:

West Road River near Cinema (Water Survey of Canada gauge 08KG001) is flowing at an estimated 500 m3/s (20-year flow) and rising.

Baker Creek at Quesnel (08KE016) is flowing at 65 m3/s (approaching 5-year flow) and rising.

San Jose above Borland Creek (08MC040) is flowing at 10 m3/s (five-year to 10-year flow) and rising.

Bonaparte River below Cache Creek (08LF002) is flowing at 35 m3/s (2-year to 5-year flow) and rising.

The public is advised to stay clear of the fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks during the high-streamflow period.

More to come.


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