Sabotage ruled out in Cleveland dam breach

Metro Vancouver will take the Cleveland Dam spillway out of service after a tragedy last Thursday that left two dead.

Metro Vancouver commissioner Jerry Dobrovolny said that the level of the Capilano Lake reservoir would be lowered to below the spillway gate, starting on Monday night.

“We will be lowering the level of the lake below the elevation of the spillway gate so that the gate can be lowered and taken out of service by the end of the weekend,” Dobrovolny said.

“We are adding additional staff to monitor our operational practice during this activity. Once the spillway gate is fully open, we expect it will remain so through the winter.”

Last Thursday — during maintenance work on the North Vancouver dam — a 12-foot surge of water was released from the spillway, gushing down the river below and taking out a dozen fishers.

The body of one man was found that day, while the body of another remains missing.

Dobrovolny said investigators had ruled out terrorism, sabotage or malicious intent and determined that the structural integrity of the dam was intact.

He said the decision to keep the spillway gates open this winter comes as heavy rainfall is expected this weekend.

“Residents will continue to see fluctuations in the river throughout the fall and winter, both from natural weather patterns and from updated operational requirements for the dam,” Dobrovolny said.

The Cleveland Dam does not have external, public-facing alarm system, so there was no way to warn river users on Thursday.

Metro Vancouver is now assessing whether to add an alarm system to the dam infrastructure.