People walking along Mission Creek may have noticed the Creek moving at a faster speed than normal as of late.
It’s recently been seen moving at a rate of seven cubic meters per second, which the River Forecast Center says is a slight increase over the average volume for this time of year, which is approximately five to six cubic meters per second.
And while there are currently no flood warnings in effect, the Creek is currently being monitored closely by both the BC River Forecast Center and Mission Creek Park crews.
With a still-increasing snowpack in the mountains and plenty of rainfall in the valley, David Campbell, head of the BC River Forecast Center, says the Creek’s current volume is nothing compared to what it’s likely to be later on in the season.
“We’re getting more into the 40 cubic meters per second range, so we’ve still got a fair bit of space before we get up to that,” says Campbell. “That would be your typical year, getting up to about 40.”
Even that pales in comparison to the approximate volume of 110 cubic meters per second in the Creek during last year’s flooding.
For the moment, there is no immediate danger by the Creek, unless people are being careless, according to Bruce Smith of the Regional District.
“We definitely encourage people with their pets and their children to keep them safely back from the creek banks at this time of year,” says Smith. “This is because they could be slippery, or subject to erosion, or they may see water levels rise unexpectedly.”