Beach boulders a bother
Peachland hoping to get rid of giant rocks dumped to protect lakeshore walkway
Beach access in Peachland has been significantly reduced by the placement of large boulders intended to prevent erosion of a popular lakeshore walkway.
Mayor Cindy Fortin says she hopes the giant rocks can eventually be removed so it’s easier for swimmers and sunbathers to reach the beach.
“They’re just really ugly,” Fortin said Tuesday. “I hope we can get them gone. I’d like to see the beach not just back to the way it was before the flood, but even better than it was.”
The boulders were dumped between the Beach Avenue Centennial walkway and the foreshore in June as Okanagan Lake rose to record levels. The rocks were intended to blunt the force of waves, which had begun to erode parts of the popular multi-use path.
“It was a decision that had to be made quickly based on an engineer’s advice,” Fortin said. “I think it was the right decision, but the reality is our beautiful beach is a big part of our town and it’s not very pretty right now.”
Removal of the boulders will likely depend on the projected cost, and whether most of the expense would be covered by a provincial program to help communities deal with emergency situations, Fortin said.
“Once we get through the flood recovery stage, we’ll have a look at what we might be able to do about the boulders,” she said. “For now, we can’t move anything.”
Meanwhile, in West Kelowna, work continues to rebuild another waterfront walkway, this one stretching from the yacht club to the old ferry dock.
“Parts of it were under water at the height of the flooding,” Mayor Doug Findlater said. “I think the crews are about halfway through the job of rebuilding it, so it should be open in about two weeks or so. It should be fine.”
Also Tuesday, a stretch of Gellatly Road between Witt Road and Boucherie Road that was closed since early May due to flood-caused damage was reopened to traffic.