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Slope Stability

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Heavy rainfalls and high-volume snow melt can result in slope failures from time to time.

Landslides have occurred in the City of Mission in the past, and property owners should be aware of the warning signs and preventative measures they can take.

 

 

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Living and Working Near Gullies & Steep Slopes in the City of Mission

Landslides have occurred within the City of Mission, and have resulted in considerable loss of property and impacts to public infrastructure. They usually occur as a result of heavy rains or snow melt. Although not always the case, signs of instability usually precede an actual slope failure. Property owners should monitor their property for signs of instability before, during and after heavy rains.

 

These signs can include:

Cracks in foundations or concrete patios
Leaning deck posts or excessively sloping decks
Slumps or slides in stream banks
Erosion and soil exposure on slopes
Fence posts or trees that are leaning downslope or upslope
Cracks or soft spots in the ground near the top of and on slopes
Trees with a strongly curved (“J”) shape at their base
Outbreaks of springs where there were none before
Undercutting of stream banks by creeks at the base of gullies
Presence of water loving plants on slopes – skunk cabbage, horse tail, devil’s club, etc.
Retaining walls which have deteriorated due to soil movement

 

Property owners can take several steps to reduce the likelihood of slope stability problems affecting their property, including:

  • Hiring a geotechnical engineer to complete regular stability assessments of their property and implementing the engineer’s recommendations.
  • Ensuring water from downspouts, driveways, lawns, decks etc. is directed away from steep slopes or conveyed to the base of the slopes in solid walled pipe.
  • Refraining from dumping yard debris, such as brush, leaves and grass clippings onto steep slopes.
  • Ensuring that retaining walls, swimming pools, ponds etc. on or above steep slopes are designed by an engineer.
  • Ensuring that any fill materials used in yard construction are designed by a geotechnical engineer and placed under his or her supervision.
  • Maintaining appropriate setbacks for fill placement or construction from the top of steep slopes as directed by a geotechnical engineer.
  • Having a geotechnical engineer assess steep slopes for appropriate vegetation cover and adequate slope stability measures.
  • Only removing or topping trees on a slope with approval by a qualified professional arborist in consultation with a geotechnical engineer.

Geotechnical engineering firms can be found in the Yellow Pages or by searching the web.

 

For more information on Mission’s Slope Stability, contact the City’s Engineering Department.

General Inquiries:
Email: engineering@mission.ca
Phone: 604-820-3736