BC Hydro is issuing a public safety advisory to please stay away from the Puntledge River Jan.24 through Feb. 5 for high river flows.
Flows will be dangerous and fluctuating as they adjust discharges from the Comox Dam to respond to the ocean tides. Temporary river flow safety signage will be in place.
The cold weather has changed into wet and mild weather into next week. BC Hydro is also following a potentially strong atmospheric river system that may hit the region on Sunday through Tuesday.
Rain and warm temperatures leading to significant snowmelt will bring in high inflows, culminating early next week, into the Comox Lake Reservoir. The downstream Browns River and Tsolum River will also likely reach high flow rates.
The Comox Lake Reservoir has come down significantly from the highs reached by the late December storms. The level reached a high of 135.2 metres above sea level and has since declined to the current level of 133 metres. There is about 2.3 metres of water storage room within the reservoir so will be able to absorb most of the storm inflows into next week.
BC Hydro will increase the river flow to about 60 cubic metres per second (m3/s) this evening and adjust their operations as needed through Feb. 5 - about double the typical river flow rate.
Water discharges below the Comox Dam down the Puntledge River may swing from about 30 m3/s during high tides to up to about 200 m3/s or more during low tides early next week. Sirens, part of the public warning system along the river system, may engage when we increase flows after the high tide.
The seven-day water inflow forecast has inflows into the reservoir potentially being around 200 to 350 m3/s for Sunday to Tuesday.
In addition to the potential atmospheric river storm, there will be continued moderate rains and warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected with freezing levels up to 2,500 metres.
BC Hydro will update the community if there is a significant change in the weather or our operations.