Flooding from burst glacial lake in B.C. expected to peak as evacuation order remains

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District says the Place Glacier lake outburst is ongoing and hazardous debris flows are expected in Place Creek and downstream waterways. (SLRD)

Officials monitoring a glacial lake that burst and is sending floodwaters toward a community northeast of Pemberton, B.C., say water flows are increasing and are expected to peak Thursday morning.

The melting glacier has triggered an evacuation order for about two dozen homes in the Gates Lake and Poole Creek areas in the community of Birken, about 150 kilometres north of Vancouver.

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District says the Place Glacier lake outflow is increasing and the public is urged to avoid the area due to hazardous debris as the evacuation order remains in place.

This is the third year in a row that residents in the Poole Creek and Gates Lake area are dealing with the threat from Place Glacier, which had similar bursts of water in 2024 and 2025.

“Current monitoring indicates the flow of water is increasing, but more gradually than was observed during the 2025 event,” spokesperson Michelle Leroux said in a statement Wednesday evening.

“Based on the latest information from technical experts, peak flows in Place Creek and downstream water channels are now expected during the early to late morning of Thursday, July 2.”

When the Place Glacier lake burst in 2024, it sent about 1.2 million cubic metres of water and sediment downstream, flooding properties.

The district says this current outflow is expected to be “comparable to the 2024 outburst event and greater than the flows seen in 2025.”

Squamish-Lillooet Regional District staff and technical experts are monitoring outflow conditions around the clock.

“Dangerous conditions, including fast-moving water, debris, erosion, and unstable streambanks, remain possible,” the statement said. “Please do not travel to the area to observe conditions.”

The outflow has not affected Highway 99 or nearby Pemberton Portage Road, according to officials.

Once peak flows have subsided, the district will conduct a damage assessment to determine next steps for emergency response and recovery.

With files from The Canadian Press