Province finally signs off on flood repairs

Nearly four years after flood waters ravaged parts of Eneas Creek through Summerland, the district finally has permission from the B.C. government to go ahead with repair work.

The flooding was so bad in April 2018 it prompted district officials to declare a local state of emergency that covered properties – public and private – along much of the 16-kilometre stretch of the creek from the Garnet Dam to Okanagan Lake.

Damage resulted primarily from erosion and overland flooding where the creek breached its banks.

After receiving an engineering assessment in April 2019, district staff honed in on seven restoration projects and began the process of seeking approvals and funding from the B.C. government.

The work will include restoration of part of the Centennial Trail, which connects Upper Town to Lower Town.

“Among other things, these provincial approvals will finally allow us to remediate the public trail and restore bank stability by regrading the bank slope, installing rip rap, removing dangerous trees and woody debris, along with riparian planting,” said Graham Statt, the district’s chief administrative officer, in an update to council Monday.

Other planned work includes a repair at Garnet Avenue and Tingley Street, where bank armouring material deposited on private land in 2018 needs to be removed and the creek itself is awaiting dredging and rebuilding, and dredging Eneas Creek’s outlet in Okanagan Lake.

The district has set aside $785,000 in its 2022 capital budget for the work, only a small share of which will be covered by the provincial emergency program.