By James Peters

Officials pinpoint cause of Shuswap landslide

Apr 10, 2017 | 12:00 PM

TAPPEN, B.C. — A landslide that destroyed two houses near Tappen Friday was likely caused by groundwater seepage.

Emergency Operations Director Ryan Nitchie of the Shuswap Emergency Program says preliminary investigation has determined the slide was “a naturally-occurring event.”

“Preliminary geotechnical assessment basically determined that this seemed to be a naturally-occurring event, with a failure of a layer of calcium carbonate, and an organic layer that slipped over bedrock and caused the landslide event.”

“This event is caused primarily through groundwater seepage, but the rain that we had also saturated the ground, and apparently contributed to the problem as well.”

Nitchie says the hillside along Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road is a historically slide prone area.

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“There has been slide activity along this road. The Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road is fairly steep along the whole hillside, and there has been a history of slides, and debris torrents in the past.”

Two homes were completely destroyed by the slide, with two people suffering minor injuries as a result.

Here is the location of the mudslide near Tappen. @SalmonArm Observer shows two homes involved in the slide. #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/tzVFT7PKQw

— Chad Harris (@ChadHarrisBC) April 8, 2017

Nitchie says another two homes are subject to an evacuation order but are so far undamaged.

One of those houses is seasonal and was unoccupied, and Nitchie says the occupants of the other homes are being offered support.

“They have all been offered emergency support services from our Shuswap Emergency Program ESS team. Fortunately, they have family and friends in the area, and are staying with them in the interim.”

Nitchie notes Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road will be only open to single-lane, alternating traffic throughout the week while work continues and the hillside is under observation for further instability.

by James Peters

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Officials pinpoint cause of Shuswap landslide

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