Cariboo/ Fraser Valley – From the Cariboo Regional District Emergency Operations Centre : Information checkpoints in Farwell Canyon will soon be disbanded. Community information officers from Tl’esqox and Yuneŝit’in have been stationed in this area since the Chilcotin River landslide occurred on July 31, 2024. They have been present to inform people entering the area of the continued risks in the area following the initial landslide.
There is an area of high-risk for further landslides along the riverbanks near Farwell Canyon Bridge. A highly visible fault line on the riverbank south of Farwell Canyon Bridge is of immediate concern, and the area below it is not safe for public access. While the primary concern remains the area near Farwell Canyon bridge due to the high level of public access and the presence of Indigenous fishing sites, other areas along the Chilcotin River may also pose significant hazards to public safety.
Because of the continued uncertainty about slope stability following the release of water on August 5th from the landslide debris dam, crown lands along the riverbed and riverbanks of the Chilcotin River are subject to a Crown Land Closure issued on September 18, 2024. This area extends from south of Dante’s Inferno Park to the confluence with the Fraser River. Hazard assessments are ongoing in this area and will inform further action to ensure public safety.
Public access to this area is strictly prohibited without authorization from the Province of B.C. to access the area. This instrument remains in place until January 25, 2025, but may be extended by the provincial government. At this time, Farwell Canyon Road remains open to the public and is not subject to the Crown Land Closure.
The summer landslide (after the natural dam broke) produced a river pulse that went downstream through the Fraser River Basin and through the Fraser Valley. It did not produce any major damage or concern.
