The B.C. River Forecast Centre says Fraser River water levels should start to recede slowly.
City of Chilliwack officials updated their flood prevention page accordingly on Wednesday (July 6), and telling residents to still be cautious.
“Right now our waterways are still high and moving fast,” their July 6 tweet said. “Please use caution near riverbanks and stay back from the water’s edge.”
Water levels were up to 5.87 metres at the Mission Gauge on Monday, July 4 and by Wednesday, July 6 they had dipped to 5.61 metres, which shows that freshet levels are starting to go down.
At this point levels are predicted to remain above 5.3 metres for the next week or so, so residents should continue to be careful around swift water.
At 5.5 metres the water is at “bank full conditions,” meaning the river elevation has risen to fill its natural banks but have not spilled into the flood plain.
City officials are leaving the existing evacuation alerts in place until the water levels recede further with plans for updates when the evacuation alerts are lifted.
By July 4, the River Forecast Centre was no longer predicting a 1972 flood level or worse for the Fraser, the FVRD reported. “Despite improvements to river forecasts, the FVRD’s Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) continues to monitor the situation and will increase its operations if necessary. The provincial high stream advisory and evacuation alerts issued by the FVRD remain in effect.”
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The River Forecast Centre has predicted Fraser River levels will start to recede slowly. Right now our waterways are still high and moving fast. Please use caution near riverbanks and stay back from the water's edge. pic.twitter.com/W0FueONY14
— City of Chilliwack (@City_Chilliwack) July 6, 2022
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