Chilcotin River landslide site remains unstable: task force [Video]

A salmon task force examining the impacts of the massive landslide that temporarily dammed British Columbia’s Chilcotin River last July says there have been three “significant” slope failures since then, and the site remains unstable.

A statement from the Tsilhqot’in National Government, which is part of the task force alongside the federal and provincial governments, says there is still “significant material” that could move, that would result in future blockages.

The update says the latest movement on Nov. 8 blocked the river in B.C.’s central Interior for about three hours, stirring up sediment.

It says the recent slide emphasizes the need for ongoing research, analysis and risk assessment in order to understand the current and future impacts on salmon.

The statement says there is “an extreme conservation concern” for Chilcotin River steelhead and stock assessment information is highly limited.

Still, it says recent fieldwork confirmed the presence of adult steelhead …