B.C. begins inspections of small dams

Days after a wall of mud, debris and water washed away homes and farmland in B.C.'s Okanagan, the provincial government announced plans to check as many as 2,000 other dams in the province.

A deputy solicitor general has already been appointed to review the circumstances leading up to the breach of the dam near Oliver, B.C., which destroyed five homes and damaged nearby orchards and vineyards.

Officials believe a dam breach caused the landslide Sunday afternoon.

The government announced Wednesday that Environment Ministry staff will be checking dams on a priority basis, "as a precaution."

"This does not pre-judge the findings of the ongoing investigation into the debris slide in Oliver," stated a news release from the Ministry of Environment.

Calls to the ministry seeking comment were not returned.

There are about 2,000 dams throughout B.C., and maintenance is the responsibility of the licence-holder — the person who leased the water rights from the government — but audits are the responsibility of the Environment Ministry.

Dams are supposed to be audited every five years if they are of "high consequence" and every 10 years if they are considered of "low consequence."

The ministry did not say which group includes the earthen reservoir that breached near Oliver.

About 1,200 of the dams in British Columbia are classified as very low consequence.

The classification is based on a number of factors, including the size of the dam and reservoir behind it, and what's downstream such as infrastructure and population.

The provincial government announced earlier this week that those who lost their homes will get disaster assistance to help rebuild.

The government will pay 80 per cent of rebuilding costs up to $300,000.

Natural disasters such as floods and slides are often excluded from homeowner insurance policies.