Sunday, January 3, 2021, 2:55pm – With water receding considerably, the Sooke Potholes have re-opened. The Sooke Potholes are open from dawn to dusk with the gates being secured at approximately 9:00 p.m. daily.
The District will continue to monitor water levels in coordination with the BC River Forecast Centre and the CRD for temporary closures outside of the 9:00 p.m. to morning time-period, and will keep the community informed.
Learn more about the Sooke Potholes, here.
Saturday, January 2, 2021, 2:30pm – For public safety, as a result of rising water levels, access to the Sooke Potholes will be closed at 4:30 p.m. today.
The District has been advised by the CRD Protective Services/Water that the Sooke Lake Reservoir is at full capacity and spilling. This means the Sooke River will rise quicker in the event of heavy rains as the flows will no longer be mitigated by reservoir storage. CRD Protective Services/Water shares, “this spillage is an annual event and is expected as we progress into the wet season.”
With the continued rainfall warnings in the forecast today and into the week, the public is advised to stay clear of the fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks. To ensure public safety, the gates to the Sooke Potholes will be closed at 4:30 p.m. today. The duration of the rise is not known and as a result, the re-opening of access to the Sooke Potholes is uncertain. Updates will be issued, as available, through the District website and Twitter account.
District of Sooke Emergency Operations Centre Director and Deputy Fire Chief Matt Barney describes, “Environmental conditions can change quickly. The gates providing access to the Potholes will remain secured during the current weather event. We will keep the community informed as new information is available.”
In addition to coordination with the CRD, the District receives updates from the British Columbia River Forecast Centre. The District will continue to monitor the conditions and provide updates, as available.
Contact:
Matt Barney, District of Sooke Emergency Operations Centre Director and Deputy Fire Chief
District of Sooke
2225 Otter Point Road
Tel: (250) 642-5422
Email: mbarney@sooke.ca
Local emergency information sources:
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- District of Sooke Twitter Channel: www.twitter.com/SookeCa
- The Sooke Fire Rescue Dept. Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SookeFireRescue/
- The Sooke ESS Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SookeEmergencySupportServices/
- District of Sooke website: www.sooke.ca
- Emergency Info BC: www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/