
Illegal dam threatens to overflow, prompting evacuations in B.C. Interior
The man-made dam was constructed without the proper permits in place.
An illegally-built dam in British Columbia’s Thompson-Nicola regional district is on the verge of bursting, prompting a local state of emergency, The Canadian Press reports.
The dam, located in the B.C. Interior, has already forced the inhabitants of 14 nearby properties to evacuate. Officials say the emergency declaration, which covers the Lower North Thompson area, will help free resources needed to mitigate flood risk.
The district said the human-made dam on Fadear Lake could face “imminent” failure, creating an “uncontrolled release of water” into Fadear Creek. Residents who have not been evacuated have been warned they may need to leave their homes if the dam breaks.
Colton Davies, a spokesperson for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, stated on Tuesday via the Canadian Press that a pair of culverts within the unauthorized dam have become blocked with debris, causing water levels to rise and sparking concerns about flooding.
Davies says it’s “unclear” who built the dam. According to the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, it was constructed without the proper permits in place.
An engineer has been called in to assess the area and plan the next steps. According to local media, this isn’t the first time an illegal dam has created a hazardous situation in the area.
Castanet Kamloops says another illegal dam was built in roughly the same place in 2023, causing downstream damage.
Header image: Photo of the dam on Fadear Lake on Oct. 8, 2025. (Thompson-Nicola Regional District)
This article was written with files from The CBC, The Canadian Press, and Castanet Kamloops.