SASKATOON – It has been anything but a peaceful summer for people who live along the Peace River in British Columbia and Alberta.
On June 14, passers-by discovered a sinkhole in the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, a power-generating dam on the Peace River near Hudson Hope, B.C.
The appearance of the sinkhole has unleashed a flood of rumor and nervous speculation about the structural integrity of the dam and what would happen to communities along the river if the unthinkable was to happen and the dam was breached.
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The earthen dam, built in the 1960s, holds back a 1,773 sq. kilometre reservoir, including the 438,000 acre Williston Lake.
Officials have been conducting round-the-clock surveillance of the dam and continuing to reassure the public.
In an Aug. 15 press release, B. C. Hydro said a team of expert consultants had reaffirmed their earlier conclusion that “there is no risk of dam failure.”
In an interview, B.C. Hydro community relations officer Nadine Cahan said the dam is functioning properly.
“If we get any indication from the readings that something is going wrong, we’ll definitely let everybody know. It wouldn’t be in anybody’s interest not to.”
Various government agencies have been working with B.C. Hydro to determine the extent of the problem, with experts in earthen dams coming in from Sweden and the United States to assist.
Tests performed
Drilling tests have been conducted to determine the extent of the loose or soft material under the sinkhole, which measured about 45 centimetres across at the top. A special probe has been used to measure soil density and permeability, water pressure and temperature. Sonar has also been used to map the upstream face of the dam, and “no unusual features have been found,” B.C. Hydro said.
As experts and scientists work at the dam site, residents along the Peace River have been nervously watching the river and trying to sort out fact from fancy.
Bill Fedeyko, who farms at High Level in northern Alberta, said there has been a general lack of information and communication.
“That leads to uneasiness and skepticism as to whether the truth is being told,” he said. “What we hear is very vague and uncertain and really doesn’t give me much comfort.”
Bill Henderson, whose family market garden business is situated in the river valley near the town of Peace River, said concerns have eased recently.
“I’m not losing any sleep over it,” he said. “The way they have it explained it, if they were giving it to us straight, it doesn’t sound as bad as rumor would have it.”
He said local people are reacting in various ways. Some have moved valuables and keepsakes to higher ground, some have possessions ready to go at a moment’s notice and others aren’t worried at all.
Peace River, Alta. mayor Michael Procter said after visiting the dam site and talking to government and B.C. Hydro officials, he’s confident all the steps are being taken to find out what the problem is, fix it if necessary and notify people of any threat to public safety.
