The daily watch on the Nechako and Fraser Rivers is well underway as emergency prep teams keep tabs on the water levels in order to be prepared for any possible flood.

Chief Fire Prevention Officer, Kelly Gilday has been co-ordinating the flood preparedness plans “When the Fraser reaches 7 meters, that is an action point for us, and when I say action point I mean it is a time when the emergency team will meet, and look at where we are and based on the snow pack, the weather conditions and the Nechako flows, make a decision on what the next step should be.”

That “next step” could be anything from increased site inspections, to advising residents in low lying areas to move items to higher ground.

The graph below  shows just how different the situation is  on the Fraser this year as compared to the same week last year.

In the graph  below, the  starting point of 5.6 is  the high mark for that week.  While in the Graph  above  (2007) shows the  5.6 is the starting point and  the water level has remained well above that mark for the  same period. 

One thing is certain, if the Fraser hits 9.2 metres, Prince George will face flooding.

As for the Nechako, the level of concern in Vanderhoof at the Burrard Street bridge is 4.4 metres.

As of 2 p.m. yesterday, the level of the Fraser at the South Fort Gauge was 6.234 metres

And the Nechako in Vanderhoof at the Burrard Street Bridge was 3.96 metres