Rivers could flood south
Photo: Casey Richardson
Departures are peaked on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at the Penticton Dam, as seen in the photo above. The photo below is from May 11, 2022, when an attempt was made to conserve water while the lake was well below the full pool.
The Penticton Dam administrator is trying to balance the increase in Okanagan Lake outflows into the Penticton Channel without damaging the river banks and properties further south as the level of the lake rises.
“We’re increasing our outflows from the lake, we’ve already exceeded our design type to the maximum for the Penticton section of the river. Again, we’ve been there many times,” said Shaun Reimer.
“I can go higher. But we’ll see some impacts due to some erosion against the banks, and things like that.”
As the water flows further south and rises along the Oliver section, Reimer said water ponds may begin to accumulate on the land side of the roof systems.
“Then, of course, you’re affecting some people in their fields and farms, which can also be flooded.”
Okanagan Lake is expected to reach the full pool and will rise further in the coming days.
Last week, the lake rose more than an inch a day.
Reimer said that before the rainy events, the rate of ascent to the lake began to slow down.
“It was less than an inch a day, it was less than that. But now this rain, of course, has amplified everything.”
Rainfall is expected for the weekend, but the showers are not expected to bring as much rain as those seen in recent days.