News Type:
Water monitoring bulletin
With warm weather, the snowmelt from mountains in BC, Yukon, and the NWT is beginning to hit the water system.
This will contribute to high water levels and flow in the Liard and South Nahanni Rivers.
The communities of Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte should be on high alert for possible flooding in the coming days.
Here’s what we know:
- British Columbia has placed the Liard River on flood warning as of June 7, 2022.
- This means: “River levels have exceeded bankfull or will exceed bankfull imminently, and that flooding of areas adjacent to the rivers affected will result.”
- View the full advisory (third party content in English only)
- There was extremely high snow pack in the Yukon portion of the basin 176%, with the BC portion at approximately 109%, and the lower Liard basin at 156% normal.
- Yukon also reports flows on the Liard River are higher than average, with some sections of the river being at levels expected every 20 years.
- In the NWT, flows on the South Nahanni River are well above average.
- Previous flooding at Nahanni Butte occurred when a very high South Nahanni River ‘ran into’ a very high Liard River, backing water up into the community.
- The conditions we’re seeing developing are similar this year.
This information has been provided to emergency managers to ensure they are ready to monitor and respond as necessary.