iN VIDEO: No plan yet to mitigate flood risk for illegal North Thompson dam

A North Thompson region dam is poised to burst if left alone, but planning remains underway to release the pressure.

Engineers contracted by the Thompson Nicola Regional District assessed the gravel dam on Oct. 8. They haven’t yet finalized a way to safely release the water which leaves 14 properties along Fadear Creek on evacuation alert.

Providing a first public view of the dam since the evacuation alert was issued, the regional district released photos and drone videos from the area Thursday morning, which were captured by the engineers at the site.

The access road on the east side of Fadear Lake got close but didn’t quite reach the dam itself, according to regional district spokesperson Colton Davies.

“From this access point there was a steep grade to the dam, and access from the road was by foot trail only. (Regional district) staff are working with engineers to determine what work can be done in the immediate term, and how equipment may be able to access the dam site and do emergency works,” Davies said in a written statement.

The footage shows the makeshift gravel dam, along with culverts on one side and a wooden bridge on the other.

The unauthorized gravel dam is on Crown land, but the properties could see damage if it were to release uncontrolled.

It would be the second time in two years for the area. The provincial government previously found an unauthorized dam at the same location in 2023, which damaged some properties at the time.

The province didn’t say whether the builder was identified or if they were fined, but unauthorized dams can risk steep penalties for the person responsible.

Fadear Creek, which is in a rural area north of Sun Peaks, feeds Louis Creek before the water reaches the North Thompson River.

There is currently no expected risk to properties along Louis Creek.

The current dam was reported to provincial government natural resource officers, but just as with the 2023 dam, it’s not clear whether the person responsible has been identified.