Boat Dock Ban Shelved

A bylaw that would prevent re-construction or future building of docks in both Kalamalka and Okanagan Lakes in Lake Country has been rejected.

A public hearing on the issue drew about 70 upset residents who were told boat traffic disturbs sand and silt that then gets into the District’s drinking water intakes.

Mark Koch, the Director of Community Services says Interior Health has mandated all municipalities must protect those intakes.

“The source-to-tap studies did identify the rezoning of water to implement an intake protection zone.”

“The rezoning of the surface of the water is recommended to have a limitation on docks and marina-type facilities to have an additional level of protection for the two intakes they are referring to.”

Koch says residents worried about convenience and property values going down if this bylaw passed.

“I think the feedback received from the public was fairly clear. I think there was a number of concerns expressed from residents about the limitations proposed.”

Council instead now is considering implementing marine speed limits and no-wake zones for the southwest corner intake of Kal Lake and around the water intake on Okanagan.