Okanagan Lake’s water level is quickly approaching flood mark (343 m), thus causing concerns among officials. Okanagan Lake is currently at 342.65 m above sea level, and if it rises to its flood mark, the low-lying areas near the lake will flood.
The lake’s water level is now just 35 cm away from flood mark, and officials think the lake may soon overflow.
There is also a chance of continuously increasing water level causing tributary creeks to back up and burst their banks.
“There’s a couple of concerns, number one that the lake reaches the same level as some of the creeks entering it so it creates a backflow of water up those creeks and of course into the surrounding area,” said Tom Wilson, an information officer with the Emergency Operations Centre in Kelowna.
Staff at Penticton dam is releasing water through the dam at 61 cubic meters per second. The design capacity outflow limit of the dam is about 62 cubic meters per second. Last week, the flows were maximized at almost 70 meters per second to create additional capacity in the lake to accommodate an expected water surge.
The officials have urged citizens not to remove existing sandbags or to clear debris to prevent wave-related erosion on lake shore. They believe buildings and homes near water could be in trouble in case of heavy rain.
“With any kind of wave action, it’s causing erosion to the beaches and any properties that are right up against the water,” Wilson said. “People with docks are of course concerned about the effect.”
In the downtown area, the high water table in the ground is another cause of concern for officials as it could cause more flooding. Authorities have installed two large-capacity water pumps at the Water Street boat launch to bring down those levels. The pumps were rented by the City of Kelowna from the Lower Mainland, and are currently working almost around the clock.
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