Over the past weekend, November 28th & 29th 2015, the Town of Golden again experienced a significant ice-flow from the Kicking Horse River. Ground and aerial assessments have confirmed all ice is holding well within the dike walls, river flow is steady, and there are no immediate threats to the existing dike infrastructure.
Authorities from the Golden and Area Emergency Management Program, the Town of Golden, Ministry of Transportation, Emergency Management BC, RCMP, Golden Fire Department, and Golden & District Search & Rescue are all aware of the situation and presently monitoring the river in partnership.
“This marks the third year in a row the Kicking Horse River has been subject to an ice jam with all three events falling within the similar calendar time frame,” stated Mayor Ron Oszust. “This year’s situation is comparable to the 2013 ice jam, with less volume and limited frazil ice. This event is much more favorable to the 2014 event as the larger chucks of ice are easier for heavy equipment to move if the water and ice threaten the top of the diking infrastructure. Water is presently flowing well with dike walls with a substantial amount of water moving through the secondary channel around Gould’s Island.”
The 7 day forecast is favourable for the situation with highs forecasted to be above zero later in the week. This means that further ice formation is unlikely and the water will continue to channelize through the jam.
Public safety is a priority and people are encouraged to keep a safe distance from the Kicking Horse River as sudden movements of ice and materials within the river are very possible and unpredictable.
The Golden Emergency Operations centre has been activated to a level 1 capacity and the regional dike inspector has visited the area.
Additional updates will be provided as the situation changes.
