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Okanagan Lake monitoring strategy called outdated: Peachland councillor

Peachland council says flood damage proving costly
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Raising flood sandbag barriers to prevent windy conditions from crashing waves off Okanagan Lake onto Peachland streets in 2017 flooding. (File photo)

Peachland councillor Terry Condon says the Okanagan Lake flood control benchmarks currently being used aren害羞草研究所檛 relevant today.

害羞草研究所淲hat we have seen in the last seven or eight years for monitoring the lake level isn害羞草研究所檛 working,害羞草研究所 said Condon at the Peachland council meeting last Tuesday (Aug. 11).

Condon said Peachland can害羞草研究所檛 continue to watch provincial flood control measures remain unchanged and expect a different result.

害羞草研究所淲e can害羞草研究所檛 continue to pay for flood damage, for our community, and for a local and provincial basis, to bear the cost of that,害羞草研究所 Condon said.

害羞草研究所淚t seems to me it would be a smart thing to take a good look at getting the (benchmark levels) right and make sure the lake levels are adjusted appropriately at the pace they need to be adjusted to,害羞草研究所 Condon said.

害羞草研究所淕iven the technology of 2020, I can害羞草研究所檛 believe this isn害羞草研究所檛 possible, nor can I believe it is cheaper, in the long run, to continue on as we are rather than looking for better solutions.害羞草研究所

Mayor Cindy Forton acknowledged the water level strategies for managing the lake level evolved from a joint federal-provincial government study, the framework of which dates back to the 1970s.

害羞草研究所淚 think it would be smart for the province to review how lake levels are being managed. A lot has changed since the 1970s. There is no mention of climate change or other factors that influence lake levels today in that original study, that snowmelt today is faster and could be calculated better, how forestry has taken place further uphill and affects upstream flow,害羞草研究所 Fortin said.

Coun. Keith Fielding suggested Peachland seek the support of the Regional District of Central Okanagan board and Okanagan Basin Water Board before approaching the province on this issue.

害羞草研究所淗aving the support of stakeholders will add more weight to any effort to lobby the province for changes,害羞草研究所 Fielding said.

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Barry Gerding

About the Author: Barry Gerding

Senior regional reporter for Black Press Media in the Okanagan. I have been a journalist in the B.C. community newspaper field for 37 years...
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