Snow and cold temperatures are not good news for up to 20 homeowners in the Smithers area who have been watching nervously as ice jams on the Bulkley River keeps growing.
The jams — now about 13 kilometres long — have formed in the area between Main Street and Dohler Flats, with minor overland flooding in the Ebenezer Flats area. Residents are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
Resident Regan Fielding says he first noticed something on Boxing Day.
“The kids were up and they spotted it first out the window. The water came across from a few yards over and starting coming down towards us. Within an hour, it was at least boot-deep and it has just kind of been climbing for the last while.”
READ MORE: Ice jams on Bulkley River near Smithers put residents on alert
Residents have been using multiple pumps to try to keep water from getting into their homes while district work crews have been sending heated water from a nearby mill into the river in the hopes of melting some of the ice.
Fielding says it seems to be working.
“It’s got to be down a couple of feet from where it was,” he said.
Further downstream the water is still rising on some properties so the evacuation alert remains in effect.
This area of Smithers is known for flooding. In May 2002, the same area was the centre of a major sandbagging operation as the Bulkley River overflowed its banks during the spring runoff.
“Spring will be fun,” resident Elsbeth Fielding said. “It’ll be a mess, I suspect.”
– With files from Ted Chernecki and Amy Judd
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