Farwell Canyon Airborne Surveys - 2024 - Airborne Coastal Observatory

Late in the evening of July 30, 2024, a large landslide occurred on the Chilcotin River approximately 30 kilometres upstream of its confluence with the Fraser River, resulting in a complete blockage of the river’s flow. The landslide site was located roughly 22 kilometres upstream from the Farwell Canyon Bridge/Forest Service Road. The volume of material deposited in the river was estimated to measure roughly 1,000 metres in length, 600 metres in width, and approximately 30 metres in depth.

The Hakai Institute, in collaboration with Kisik Aerial Survey, mobilized an aircraft to rapidly collect lidar and imagery of the site, and conducted two follow-up surveys to monitor the accumulation of damned water and the eventual restoration of flow in the Chilcotin River.