The evacuation alert for 14 properties near Fadear Lake remains unchanged as of Wednesday (Image credit: TNRD).

By Aaron Schulze

Fadear Lake Dam

TNRD engineers to assess Fadear Lake dam site, determine ways to alleviate flood risks for residents

Oct 8, 2025 | 11:43 AM

KAMLOOPS — Engineers hired by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) will be arriving at a site north of Sun Peaks where a man-made gravel dam is creating a risk of flooding.

It comes two days after the TNRD issued an evacuation alert for 14 properties downstream of Fadear Lake as B.C.’s Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship noticed an “unauthorized dam structure” is showing signs of weakness.

Colton Davies, TNRD communications and marketing manager, says actions the district can take are up to the engineers’ discretion, noting they could come up with a plan and recommendations on how water can be syphoned out of Fadear Lake.

Davies says there’s no estimated timeline for engineers to assess the dam and provide recommendations, although he doesn’t expect a long delay, given the assessment is for emergency works. He adds the TNRD is posting a State of Local Emergency near Fadear Lake in response.

“It’s super unusual for a local government to get involved in a dam, but there’s a risk to TNRD properties which prompted us to put in the alert,” Davies told CFJC Today. “We’re doing what we can to mitigate the risk as quickly as we can. Right now, we’re still in the ‘seeing what can be done’ phase and go from there once we have more information from engineers.”

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As of Wednesday (Oct. 8), the TNRD doesn’t know who created the gravel dam or what the motives were. However, Davies says that responsiblity lies with the province.

“The work we’re doing is solely to alleviate the current risk that exists,” Davies says. “It’s the province’s responsibility to investigate or enforce what it considers unauthorized dams. The only reason we’re getting involved is to see what can be done to reduce the risk for TNRD properties downstream.”

The evacuation alert related to the Fadear Lake dam remains unchanged from Monday (Oct. 6). Davies says TNRD staff were able to hand deliver the alert to landowners and residents.

“These are large, longstanding farm parcels on this creek, so they’re familiar with the body of water and certainly prepared for any potential uncontrolled flow from that dam, if that did happen,” Davies says.

The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said in a statement that there was another unauthorized dam in the same area that caused downstream damage in 2023. Davies says the TNRD was unaware of that dam and not involved in any response.