The City of Kelowna says a half-dozen boats that sunk during January’s cold snap have been removed from Okanagan Lake.
The removal process began late last month, around two weeks after a polar vortex froze the area, with temperatures dropping to -30 C in some places.
“In an effort to prevent environmental impacts to the lake and risks to the community, six sunken boats were recovered from Manhattan Point, several at-risk boats nearby were moved to a safe storage area, and several others were removed by their owners,” said city spokesperson Alan Budde.
“Debris and non-compliant moorage buoys were also taken away.”
The city noted that some of the boats pulled from the lake were illegally moored, and that it’s now working to strengthen bylaws to prevent the further deployment of illegal buoys.
If yours was one of the boats that sunk, you can reclaim it — with proof of ownership and payment of recovery costs. For more information, call 250-469-8610.
The city says any unclaimed boats will be subject to disposal 60 days from now, or by April 10.