The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has been notified of a logjam in Hamill Creek near Argenta.
The jam is located about 1.25 kilometres upstream from the Hamill Creek Bridge. The RDCK believes it has been in place since before the 2024 fire season, but additional fresh logs have joined it in recent weeks.
Dan Seguin, Emergency Operations Centre Director, says the BC Wildfire Service informed the regional district of the jam when it was flying over the area. Photos were taken and sent to the RDCK and the Ministry of Forests, whose geotechnical experts then confirmed its presence.
Based on the geotechnical assessment, the logjam has the potential to release catastrophically, causing an outburst of flooding on the Hamill Creek fan. However, logjams such as this occur frequently in natural systems and can often be stable for many years.
“There could be a catastrophic release, but at the same time, we don’t know if it’s going to release. Logjams are naturally occurring, and because we hadn’t been assessing that particular creek, we don’t know how many logs were initially there and how many logs were added as a result of the wildfire,” said Seguin.
Mitigation efforts have not been conducted on this particular logjam due to its challenging location, which Seguin said is very unsafe to work in.
That said, he noted that the province’s geotechnical experts will be keeping an eye on it and evaluating its hazards while conducting the post-wildfire natural hazard analysis process, which is currently underway for the Argenta Creek wildfire.
The logjam has been prioritized in the assessment, which will be critical in identifying whether the hazard may increase over time.
Additionally, the province will continue to monitor the logjam using aerial imagery and will inform residents of any significant changes.
In the meantime, residents are asked to keep a close eye on the creek’s behaviour. Seguin advised that if they notice any changes in the creek’s water, including dirty water, variations in water levels, or a flow-and-stop pattern, they should get away from the area immediately and call the Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre.
“What’s important for the community to monitor is any changes to the flow pattern of that particular creek. Is there any debris coming down? Is the water murky? They know that creek really well, and it’s crucial to call the Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre and report any changes.”
There is no recommendation at this time for an Evacuation Alert or Order. The 12 properties directly within the Hamill Creek fan were notified of the jam this week.
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