Flooding fears shift from creeks to lake
Officials ready to increase flow of water out of Okanagan Lake as it approaches maximum level
Flooding concerns could shift from local creeks to the shores of Okanagan Lake this week. The lake is nearing its so-called target elevation, or maximum level, despite efforts to boost the outflow down the Okanagan River.
“I think what we’re going to be watching for this week is for flooding along the shore now that the lake is getting so full from all the creek water,” West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater said Monday.
The flow in Mission Creek, which carries one-third of all water entering Okanagan Lake, dropped from 100 cubic metres per second on Saturday to about 40 cubic metres per second on Monday.
But Okanagan Lake had reached an elevation of 342.40 metres above sea level, only eight centimetres from the maximum target aimed for by government officials who control the lake’s drainage system.
“It’s not rising as rapidly as it has been with that rainfall and heat over the last weekend,” said Shaun Reimer, a section head with the Ministry of Environment in Penticton.
A dam at the south end of Okanagan Lake in Penticton allows officials to control the amount of water draining into the Okanagan River and downstream through the communities of Okanagan Falls, Oliver and Osoyoos.
Water was being released from the lake at the maximum rate of 62 cubic metres per second through most of last week. It was then dropped to 55 cubic metres per second on Saturday and 51 cubic metres per second on Sunday and Monday.
Release volumes are expected to be raised soon, Reimer said, but officials must be cautious not to create flooding problems downstream.
“We’ll see what the week brings, but we will definitely be maximizing our flows as best we can at the outflow of Okanagan Lake dam, taking in mind that we have to be cognizant of the flows down in the Oliver area as well,” Reimer said.
Some central Kelowna residents who had been ordered out of their homes due to flooding were allowed to return Monday evening. Evacuation orders were rescinded for 1981 Gordon Drive, 1948 Lindahl St., and for 1122 and 1130 Brookside Ave.
Meanwhile, residents of the Commonwealth Road area between Kelowna and Lake Country continued to experience flooding problems on Monday.
Evacuation orders were issued for more properties within the Holiday Park Resort retirement park, as well as several homes in the Meadowbrook Estates mobile home park.
“Neighbours are banding together to do what we can to protect our homes, but right now we’ve actually run out of sand,” said Meadowbrook Estates resident Randi Bubrul.
“The water keeps coming up and up,” Bubrul said. “We’re very nervous.”
At the western side of Holiday Park Resort, there was about 15 centimetres of water where several homes had been evacuated.
“We’re still dry, for now,” said Sylvianne Johnson, who lives in the other side of the resort, farthest from the flooding. “But we’re packed up and ready to go, just in case.”