Mid July Targeted For Flood Recovery

The City of Vernon has started the clean up of flood debris on one local beach.

Spokesperson Tanya Laing Gahr says Paddlewheel Park — which has a lower damage risk due to its slope — should be cleaned by the long weekend.

“For the rest of it, the debris that is along the Lakeshore Road area, we will be leaving that in place until the lake level drops, enough that we feel comfortable that any wave action is not going to harm the shore.”

Laing Gahr expects residents along the lake should be able to remove sandbags by mid July.

“We will be establishing dump bins along Lakeshore Road so that it’s very convenient for the homeowners to remove the sandbags.”

Laing Gahr says they will also have a dump site for residents in the Heron Glen area of 20th Street where creek levels were high last month.

She says sand in sandbags that have not touched the water can be used for landscaping or around the yard.

“But what we really want to emphasize is any of the sand in the sandbags should not be emptied onto beaches or into any creeks, wetland or any water courses.”

Okanagan Lake is down 1.3 centimetres since Tuesday, but is still 58 cm’s above full pool.

Kalamalka Lake dropped by just under one centimetre.