An evacuation order for upper Kaslo residents has been reduced to six properties from 47 following a site inspection today and consultation with geotechnical experts.
In a media release this evening, the Regional District of Central Kootenay said the properties that remain under evacuation order are:
• 1443, 1447, and 14950 Zwicky Rd.
• 1325 Victoria Ave.
• 424 and 502 Charles St.
The RDCK says residents who have been removed from the evacuation order remain on evacuation alert.
Both the order and alert will remain in place for at least the next week while geotechnical engineers conduct further monitoring and assessment, the RDCK says.
The assessment determined the slide to be about 100m long and 75m wide. Its volume is 10,000 to 20,000 cubic meters.
The toe of the slide is about 300m above the nearest homes on Zwicky Road, and “a small volume of muddy water” is flowing down to the area above the houses.
A small amount of slide movement was noted today by geotechnical experts. Other signs of continuing instability were also observed, the RDCK says.
“This slide is part of a larger dormant ancient landslide feature and occurred following a winter with an unusually high valley bottom snowpack,” the news release stated.
“This snowpack has melted over the past weeks and the area has received a large amount of rainfall which contributed to the slide.”
The slide happened above Zwicky Road around 6 p.m. Monday.
No homes were damaged and the evacuations were a precaution.
Local roads affected by the evacuation order were blocked off.
A public meeting was held at the Kaslo Legion Hall this evening to update residents on the situation.
