There害羞草研究所檚 not a lot that can be done other than 害羞草研究所渟it and wait害羞草研究所� for a landslide to clear that is blocking British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 Chilcotin River, Chief Joe Alphonse of the Tsilhqot害羞草研究所檌n First Nation says.

Alphonse said Friday that a landslide that dammed the river two decades ago burst in about four days, but this latest slide is 害羞草研究所渁 lot larger than it was last time.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭his is not really anything new for us,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 not a lot we can do.害羞草研究所�

Alphonse said there害羞草研究所檚 not much use in worrying about what may happen, other than hoping people don害羞草研究所檛 get too close to the water should it rapidly rise after the debris clears.

He said a salmon run expected late next week has already likely been affected and 害羞草研究所渢hat run is now in jeopardy and that害羞草研究所檚 very concerning for us.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e should have a fishery going on right now,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e are dependent on salmon runs for healthy living. That害羞草研究所檚 the main source of food for our people.害羞草研究所�

The slide dammed the river early Wednesday, creating a pile of debris 30 metres deep and more than 600 metres long. The river is a tributary of the Fraser River, where the salmon bound for the Chilcotin are making their way upstream.

A massive lake, described as several kilometres long, sits behind the dam of debris.

For Chief Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake Indian Band, the uncertainty of how the landslide will give way is a key concern.

Sellars has been over the slide in a helicopter for two days in a row and said the water behind the dam doubled in size from Wednesday to Thursday and it continues to build.

害羞草研究所淎nd it害羞草研究所檚 eventually going to get to this place where it starts overtopping the slide. And, you know, all the experts in all the calls and the feedback that we continue to hear is, is nobody really knows what is going to happen.害羞草研究所�

Scenarios include the dam releasing all at once, or the water could trickle through, or the lake behind the dam will top the slide and allow the river flow to resume, he said.

害羞草研究所淏ut there is this massive body of water that is building on the one side of that slide. And it害羞草研究所檚 scary,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 hard to describe in words how massive this slide is, and how devastating it is.害羞草研究所�

The B.C. government issued a statement late Thursday saying the landslide material is composed of sands, silts and clays, which are 害羞草研究所渟usceptible to rapid erosion.害羞草研究所�

It said provincial personnel are monitoring the site south of Williams Lake around the clock, with help from drones and helicopters.

害羞草研究所淭he focus is on learning as much as possible about when and how the water is most likely to be dispersed to the Chilcotin River,害羞草研究所� it said.

The government statement said there is 害羞草研究所渘o anticipated timeline害羞草研究所� for when the water may overtop or burst through the landslide material, though regional officials have said a release could be imminent.

Margo Wagner, chair of the Cariboo Regional District, told a news briefing on Thursday that a release could be expected within one to two days.

Evacuation orders span 107 square kilometres along the Chilcotin River, and officials say the slide poses an 害羞草研究所渋mmediate danger to life and safety.害羞草研究所�

Sellars said the river has 害羞草研究所渕assive cultural significance害羞草研究所� for all the First Nations in the area, and he also has concerns for the impacts downstream if the dam bursts.

害羞草研究所淎nd really, it害羞草研究所檚 hundreds of communities that are impacted and located along the Fraser (River),害羞草研究所� he said.

B.C. Minister of Emergency Management Bowinn Ma said on Thursday that if the dam breaks it害羞草研究所檚 possible that dozens of evacuation orders and alerts would be issued as a surge of water moves down the Chilcotin River and into the Fraser River, which empties into the Strait of Georgia in Metro Vancouver.

Sellars said his community is about 45 minutes away from the slide, so an evacuation of the community likely won害羞草研究所檛 be necessary.

害羞草研究所�(There害羞草研究所檚) a lot of history, former village sites, burial grounds, and we need to make sure that we害羞草研究所檙e doing everything we can to document and protect those,害羞草研究所� he said.

The Tsilhqot害羞草研究所檌n National Government issued a statement Thursday, declaring a local emergency and warned people to stay away from the river.

The statement said the slide happened upstream of Nagwentled, also known as Farwell Canyon.

The B.C. government害羞草研究所檚 geographical names data base says Nagwentled in Tsilhqot害羞草研究所檌n roughly translates to 害羞草研究所渓andslides across the river.害羞草研究所�

The Canadian Press