B.C. communities continue to deal with flood damage

While much of B.C. is enjoying the first long stretch of hot summer weather, several communities are still dealing with flooding and the damage it has caused.

Crews will be back at work today in the central-eastern B.C. village of Valemount, as the community tries to head off further damage from the surging waters of Swift Creek.

Mayor Andru McCracken says there is a definite emergency in the village, 300 kilometres southeast of Prince George, but he's hopeful creek banks can be shored-up without any loss of property.

An evacuation order was issued Monday for four creekside homes because recent hot weather has pushed up water levels, threatening areas weakened when the creek burst its banks on June 23.

The order covers residents of four homes and was issued after rushing water eroded the banks of Swift Creek. Residents were urged to leave their homes immediately and register with village emergency officials.

Shuswap clean-up

All other evacuation orders issued in B.C.because of flooding last monthhave since been rescinded, although some evacuation alerts remain in place, particularly in the Shuswap region east of Kamloops, including Sicamous.

That's where the worst of the floodingin the province forced about 300 people from their homes. The Shuswap Emergency Program says 25 properties have been declared unsafe to inhabit, while safety issues have been identified in another 70 homes.

Interior Health has since downgraded a boil water advisory to a water quality notice for Sicamous residents using the Hummingbird Resort water system -- but the boil water order remains in effect for homes in the Two Mile and Swansea Point neighbourhoods.

Tailings pond repaired

Meanwhile, near Salmo in southeastern B.C., crews say a sinkhole inside a tailings pond contributed to thepartial failure of the earthen damsurrounding the pond, and repairs are now underway.

The dam on the site of an old Hudson's Bay lead-zinc mine south of Salmo is part of the retaining wall for the mine's tailings pond.

Community officials declared a local state of emergency last week after the dam began to leak.

"The sinkhole in combination with heavy rains, caused the slough, the failure, and then the subsequent seepage," said Bill Macpherson, a spokesman for the regional district.

Macpherson said officials found the sinkhole on the inside of the dam, near the centre of the structure, after draining down the pond.

The sinkhole was found about 1.8 metres below the normal high water mark, and regular inspections would not have revealed it because of its location and depth, said a statement from the regional district.

Macpherson said the leaks have now been stopped, and officials are building up the front face of the dam with rock, earth and fill.

"The whole area's drying up, so it's certainly improved from what it was," he said.