Okanagan Lake 10 cm above full pool

by Dave Preston

Okanagan Lake is well past the point of being full.

The lake reached the full pool point some time ago but as of Tuesday it reached 10 centimetres (four inches) above full pool.

The beach at the mouth of Trepanier Creek has all but disappeared in the past few days and some docks in Peachland are partially submerged in the lake.

In Kelowna, city workers set up temporary pumps Tuesday at the Water Street Boat Launch and the beach access at Royal Avenue.

The pumps are designed to minimize the potential of flooding in the downtown area of Kelowna — not from the lake overflowing, but from overfilled storm drains.

“The pumps removed water from our drainage network and put it in the lake,” said Tom Wilson, Kelowna communications supervisor. “This de-watering of the drainage system allows any new rainfall to be collected in the drainage system.”

Wilson said once the water has been pumped into the lake, it won’t back fill into the drainage system.

Full pool for Okanagan Lake is about 342.5 metres above sea level.