Flow in Mission Creek jumps 20% overnight
Flood protection spreads in Kelowna as warm weather accelerates melt of mountain snowpack
Homeowners risk flooding their own property by filling in roadside drainage ditches, West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater warns.
Many people dump dirt and gravel into the ditches to create additional parking spaces or as part of a landscaping project, Findlater says.
“This is very, very typical of our neighbourhoods where people have abused those ditches over the years,” Findlater said, adding the practice is particularly widespread in Glenrosa, where his family has lived for 42 years.
The water flow in Mission Creek quickened considerably on Wednesday, following warm temperatures on Tuesday that accelerated melting of the mountain snowpack.
Creek water was flowing at more than 100 cubic metres a second, the highest level so far this spring and up from 80 cubic metres a second on Tuesday. The creek was flowing fast enough and high enough to causing flooding in some areas.
The Mission Creek Greenway, a popular recreation corridor, was closed between the Hollywood Road and Field Road entrances due to flooding.
Crews from the BC Wildfire Service and local contractors were putting flood-protection structures in place along Mission Creek. A city-wide state of local emergency allows the work to be done on private properties.
“Flood protection and mitigation efforts are underway throughout the region as officials continue to monitor roads, culverts, weather, creeks and streams,” the emergency operations centre said in a release.
Currently, protection measures “are anticipated to be sufficient for this year’s (creek) flows,” the EOC said.
A high temperature of 16 C is forecast today with more rain, but conditions are expected to dry out toward the weekend with temperatures steadily rising to the midand upper 20s C.
A high of 28 C is forecast for Monday, with the unusually warm conditions likely to quicken the snowmelt and increase the water flow in local creeks.
In West Kelowna, Findlater’s concerns about blocked or filled-in drainage ditches will be investigated by municipal staff.