Snowfall has made a splash in Dawson Creek’s only water source, as water levels continue to rise and work progresses on the city’s emergency overland water transfer system.
The city confirmed the state of local emergency will remain in effect until at least Dec. 23 as officials pursue a long-term solution to Dawson Creek’s ongoing water shortage.
“The (Kiskatinaw) River is still flowing above the weir. We’re meeting daily demand, so that’s good news,” said Kevin Henderson, the chief administrative officer at the city of Dawson Creek, to mayor and council. He described the river’s higher-than-usual flows as “surprising” and credited recent snowfall.
More snow than usual is falling in the city, according to its Mayor Darcy Dober, who said it has not snowed this much in the past few years. Since the first flurries formed in the Peace, water levels have increased, though not dramatically.
City staff and council are still prepping a short-term waterline to south Taylor, if necessary.
“The emergency operations team is continuing to pursue permitting for the approval of the emergency overland water transfer – running a hose along the highway from the Peace River to the Dawson Creek water system,” staff wrote in an update on Friday.
The concern over water scarcity remains, as the city reported earlier this year that its reservoirs held only 150 days of stored water.
Dawson Creek declared a state of local emergency in October, following a summer of increasingly strict water restrictions. The city’s third-level water conservation measures remain in effect.
