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VIDEO: Big Creek area access road washed out due to flooding

Rancher says his access is cut off since the creek peaked on the weekend

Several residents living in the Big Creek area west of Williams Lake have been cut off due to flooding washing out their access roads.

Bob Russell of Anvil Mountain Ranch said Big Creek began to swell on Friday night and was starting to go over the banks and by Saturday morning was going over the banks.

It is now receding.

Russell who has lived in the area for 52 years and is a director of the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association, said most people would normally call Big Creek a river, but it has never reached the levels it did on the weekend in all the time he has lived there.

“It has washed out fences, washed out Witte Road which is our access road, washed out ditches and and washed hay fields,” Russell told the Tribune on Tuesday. “The creek has been close to this high two or three times, but never this high. Lots of trees have come down past our place.”

They have cattle on the ranch, but they have not been impacted as they are presently up higher out on the range.

“The only problem will be later as we will be short on hay.”

When asked if his ranch was impacted by the wildfires of 2017, he said, “some, but not really.”

So far Russell has not been contacted by emergency services, but said he planned to make some calls Tuesday morning. He said he is basically retired and his son Shane and Dina Russell run the ranch.

Big Creek flows from Elbow Mountain north to the Chilcotin River, which was put on flood warning by the B.C. River Forecast Centre on Sunday after 90 mm of rain fell in the area during the last four days. By late Monday, they said water levels were at a 200-year point 1010 cubic metres per second.

Jane Eagle of the Wineglass Ranch, located at the confluence of Big Creek and the Chilcotin River in Riske Creek said they have lost 30 acres of farm land due to the flooding so far.

“The land is sliding into the river and damaging all the irrigation,” Eagle said as she described how they can hear the thunderous sound of the boulders rolling in the river bed.

“It’s cutting a new channel. There is lots of log jam debris - both burned and green.”

There is a steady thump and vibration from the landslides, she added.

The Wineglass Ranch has been in the Durrell family for 135 years.

Read more: Flood warning issued for Chilcotin River below Big Creek

It rained again yesterday, but nothing significant.

“The creek is going down now and has gone down quite a bit,” Russell said. “It’s sunny here right now and looking pretty good. Hopefully it will stay that way.”

In an interview Monday, hydrologist Jonathan Boyd with the B.C. River Forecast Centre said it was the first time the centre has issued a flood watch and warning since January of this year.

The Cariboo Regional District activated its emergency operations centre (EOC) on Monday, communications manager Emily Epp confirmed Tuesday.

“At this point we don’t know exactly how many properties but are encouraging residents to call us at our EOC by calling our public information line at 1-866-749-4977,” Epp said. “It’s giving us a sense as people call in how many are impacted and we can assess each individual person’s needs and help provide them with the support they need.”

Epp said the CRD is working with partners to monitor road conditions and if people want they should check Drive BC or the Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Resource Road Safety Information site for the status of forest service roads.

More to come

17628115_web1_190710-WLT-BigCreekFlooding2
Big Creek as seen on the weekend reached high levels flooding local areas, washing out an access road. It has since receded, but residents are still cut off. Photos submitted
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A photo taken from a cabin porch from the Wineglass Ranch at the confluence of Big Creek and the Chilcotin River at Riske Creek. Photo submitted
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Downstream from the confluence of Big Creek and the Chilcotin River. Photo submitted
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Photo submitted Hayfield banks being cut away by the heavy water flow.
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17628115_web1_copy_190710-WLT-BigCreekFlooding2
Big Creek as seen on the weekend reached high levels flooding local areas, washing out an access road. It has since receded, but residents are still cut off. Photos submitted


Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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