Officials beg boaters to watch their wake
With level of Okanagan Lake so high, waves from boats could damage properties, docks along shore
With this weekend’s sunny, hot weather, it could be easy to forget about flooding and focus on fun.
However, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations stresses flood conditions persist, even if they have stabilized, and that boaters, beach-goers, property owners, dog walkers and pedestrians still have to careful.
The emergency operations office’s latest missive on Friday focused on safe boating as Okanagan Lake is fuller than normal.
The level of the 135-kilometrelong lake currently sits at 342.64 metres above sea level. Normal high water is 342.48 metres.
Sixteen centimetres above normal high water may not sound like a big deal, but it’s enough to put docks and the shoreline properties in danger, especially if exacerbated by waves caused by boat wake.
The lake’s peak this spring is expected to reach 342.8 metres, meaning it will rise another 16 centimetres from the current level, further bloating the lake. (You can monitor the lake level at wateroffice.ec.gc.ca.)
Emergency operations officials urge operators of motorboats to stay in the middle of the lake and at least 300 metres from shore.
Wake should be no more than 30 centimetres, or one foot.
Again, such a wake doesn’t sound too big, but the waves caused by such wakes can gain damage-causing momentum and height as they hit the shore or a dock.
Bigger and heavier boats naturally create larger wakes, even at low speed. So, emergency operations asks such boats to go even slower in the centre of the lake.
Within 300 metres of shore, small and light boats should be going under 10 km/h.
In addition to keeping speeds to a minimum, boats have to beware of debris and submerged logs littering the lake. The debris is a result of trees, logs, sticks and silt being washed into the lake from fast-moving creeks.
Emergency operations also suggests people opt for wake-free water activities such as paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing or simply hanging out at the beach or park and having a swim, even if the water is a little chilly.
However, the same junk that’s on the lake is now washing up on shore.
It will be left there for the time being because it helps limit erosion caused by wave and wake action.
When the flood risk has passed, beaches will be cleaned up by local governments.
Most flood-protection measures, such as dredging of creeks, gabions, water dams and sandbags, have been put in place. Don’t mess with them. If property owners need to fill more sandbags, they can do so at the locations listed at www.cordemergency.ca.
Keep your kids, pets and yourself away from fast-moving creeks. Even ankle-deep, swiftmoving water can sweep you off your feet.