M Creek facts for kids
M Creek, also known as M (Yahoo) Creek, is a creek in British Columbia, Canada. It flows southwest from the Britannia Mountains and empties into Howe Sound just north of a town called Lions Bay.
About M Creek
The creek flows through a steep area covering about 3.3 square kilometers. Its highest points are at 1720 meters, near Brunswick Mountain. The sides of the creek, between 900 and 1200 meters high, are made of hard rock cliffs called diorite. These rocks are part of the Gambier Group.
Most of M Creek flows through a deep, narrow rock passage called a bedrock canyon. In its upper parts, especially on the south side, you can see lots of loose rocks and debris from rockslides. Before 1981, there wasn't a large fan of debris where the creek met the water. After a big event in 1981, a new debris fan formed, covering 14,100 square meters.
Between 1957 and 1968, about 38% of the land around the creek was logged, meaning trees were cut down. This was done using a logging road that came from Magnesia Creek.
The M Creek Disaster
In the early morning of October 28, 1981, after very heavy rains, a huge rush of water, logs, and rocks, called a debris torrent, washed away a small wooden bridge. This bridge was part of British Columbia Highway 99.
Nine people sadly lost their lives in the darkness and confusion. Their cars drove off the highway into the creek's deep canyon because they didn't know the bridge was gone. One driver had seen the first two cars go in and tried to warn others, but it was too dark and rainy for everyone to see the danger.
The debris torrent was estimated to be about 20,000 cubic meters of logs and rocks. It burst out of the creek's canyon just above the highway bridge, destroying the middle part of the bridge.
The term M Creek disaster came to mean all the washouts and flooding that happened that same night. Thousands of tourists were stuck in Whistler until the highway could be reopened. This event led to talks about creating a "back door" route for Whistler, so people wouldn't get stranded again. After looking at different routes, the Duffey Lake Road was chosen as the official extension of Highway 99, which used to end at Pemberton.
What Happened After
The same period of heavy rains caused many other washouts along the highway between Lions Bay and Pemberton. Some of these happened near the Resort Municipality of Whistler. The sand foundations for the Culliton Creek bridge in the Cheakamus Canyon area were also washed away.
Because of the disaster, a study was ordered in 1983 to look at how dangerous torrents were along the highway. This study, done by Thurber Consultants, looked at 23 creeks between Horseshoe Bay and Britannia Beach. It also checked the debris fans near the shoreline, especially where homes were built and at risk.
A jury that investigated the deaths suggested several ways to make the highway safer. They recommended warning lights at bridges where washouts might happen, though this idea was never put into action. However, 11 bridges along the route were replaced with stronger structures that wouldn't wash out in future debris torrents.
Also, three concrete "debris torrent basins" were built in the upper parts of Charles, Harvey, and Magnesia Creeks. These basins help to catch logs and rocks, preventing similar disasters from happening there.
Today, the area around M Creek has been completely rebuilt since the disaster. The creek is now crossed by a modern freeway and a strong concrete structure, just like other dangerous spots along the highway that have been improved over the years.
