Local, provincial leaders celebrate local flood mitigation work

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“This really reduces that flood risk and I’m just so happy to see that there’s also the benefit of better salmon habitat. It’s win-win.”

Infrastructure, Property Protection

Local, provincial leaders celebrate local flood mitigation work

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The naturalization work saw the fish habitat enhanced, and also native vegetation planted around the creek. There had been sightings of kokanee salmon already in the creek, and it’s expected that fry released by the Okanagan Nation Alliance recently will also lead to sockeye salmon returning to the creek in the near future.

Green said she had seen naturalization projects before but noted this case had a culvert in an “interesting location” that crews were able to work around successfully to avoid any complications surrounding it. She also told Vernon Matters this type of project could be seen and implemented in other communities across the province to assist with their flood mitigation work.

The project cost just over $5 million, and was partially funded by a grant of nearly $1.3 million from Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, and another provincial contribution of around $1.1 million.

Speaking to Vernon Matters, Mark Dowhaniak, the city’s Manager of Infrastructure, said the project was designed to be able to withstand record flood levels, though those conditions have not been seen since the work wrapped up. He did state that city staff monitor flood risks, including snowpack levels, and would be prepared to act and ensure the infrastructure was protected should a massive flooding event take place.

The province also announced funding for two more flood prevention projects in the North Okanagan Tuesday.

The government announced it would be providing the Village of Lumby with $2.9 million to create a 430-metre setback dike on the bank of Duteau Creek, and a 500-metre setback dike on the bank Bessette Creek, providing nearly one kilometre of protection in flood-prone areas of Lumby. This work is also being supported by a $2.3 million investment from the federal government, and a $580,000 contribution from the village.

Additionally, the province said it would be investing $1.7 million to do bank armouring along Bessette Creek, and to assist with the designing of a dike along Shields Avenue.

The two dike projects in Bessette and Duteau Creeks are slated to see construction start in the summer, with no timeline on the armouring and other dike project.

“The Village of Lumby is grateful for the ongoing support from the provincial and federal governments,” Kevin Acton, Mayor of Lumby, said in a release.

“Stabilizing our creek and protecting our critical infrastructure and downstream core from flooding or becoming orphaned from our emergency services during a flood is imperative.”