CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Case, B.; Egyir, P.; and Geertsema, M.
Date : 2003.
Title : Catastrophic failure of a beaver dam at Chudnuslida Lake, east central British Columbia.
Publication : 3rd Canadian Conference on Geotechnique and Natural Hazards. Sheraton Hotel. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. June 9 and 10, 2003.
Issue :
Page(s) :
Abstract
Some time in July or August 2000, a failure of a beaver dam resulted in catastrophic lowering of Chudnuslida Lake in east central British Columbia. The beaver dam impounded an unnamed stream below the outlet of the lake and raised the level of the lake about 2 m. The unnamed stream drained from Chudnuslida Lake into Chuyazega Creek. The beaver dam failure resulted in the catastrophic discharge of about 2 million m3 of water. This lowered the lake level and scoured the stream channel up to 4 m depth over a distance of 4 km. The flood caused considerable bank erosion and slope failure along the stream channel. Up to 80,000 m3 of sediment was deposited in bars in the lower, wider portion of the channel, and as a fan into Chuyazega Creek and its floodplain. Beaver dams are common in interior British Columbia. The potential flood risk posed by failure of beaver dams can be significant and should not be overlooked in planning forest resource development.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology