By Corey Fischer

Lake Peak Re-Evaluated

May 22, 2018 | 5:19 PM

Okanagan Lake continues to rise — but the rate of increase is slowing.

Shaun Reimer from the province says it’s going up about 3 centimetres a day, about half of last week.

“That seems to be a continued trend, that the rate of rise in the lake is slowing. It’s very positive in terms of….it’s indicative that the tributaries that are feeding Okanagan Lake are dropping,” says Reimer from the Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations Ministry.

Reimer says the lake is expected to peak at less than 343 metres in 10 to 14 days.

“But again, that rate of rise will decrease over that time until the lake peaks sometime in early June.”

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Kalamalka Lake is up about 6 cm’s from Monday.

The warm weather is quickly melting the snowpack in the Okanagan and other areas of BC.

Dave Campbell from the River Forecast Centre says the snow at upper levels in the Okanagan has gone from 206% of normal at the start of the month…..to 126% as of mid May.

“We have seen ongoing, rapid, dramatic snowmelt across the province for the last few weeks. If we look at temperatures around BC, they have typically been about 5 degrees above normal for the last month, which is exceptional,” says Campbell

He says there are currently no flood warnings in effect around BC.

There is a flood watch in place for the Shuswap River, as well as a high stream advisory for the Salmon River.

“We’re very vulnerable to any kind of additional inputs of water, particularly rainfall. And that’s going to last for the next week or two,” says Campbell.

Emergency Management BC says there are 40 evacuation orders in place around BC, affecting about 700 properties.

by Corey Fischer