Flood Protection Steps Up Against High Okanagan Lake Prediction

People living along Okanagan Lake are being told now to prepare for the lake to reach a level of 343.5 metres by mid June.

As of yesterday, the lake was at 343.23 metres, one centimetre above Saturday`s level.

The rate of rise is slowing down, but the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations says 50 per cent of the upper level snowpack has yet to melt.

It says lake levels could increase more sharply with a significant rain event.

Local governments and private property owners are being advised to work to protect their properties to a lake level rise of up to 343.5 metres and plan an additional 60 cm buffer for wave action – up to 344.1 metres.

In Vernon, The Okanagan Indian Band is planning to close Lakeshore Road from 8 this morning until 6 tonight as it continues to fill a gabion dike at Kin Beach with sand.

That`s to act as a buffer from wave action on the lake to prevent erosion of the road bank.

Further closures are expected over the next few days.

Meanwhile, residents of the Holiday Park mobile home park on Lakeshore Road across from Kin Beach worked through the weekend shoring up and extending a sandbag dike to protect several homes along Vernon Creek.

The Okanagan Indian band supplied sand and bags and a First Nations forestry crew from Pemberton came in to help.