Prather Lake in the St. Andrews By The Lake golf course and residential subdivision north of Oliver is almost two metres above usual for this time of year.
“It’s rising four to five inches a day,” says resident Everett Nabe. “It’s a tough time for us. We’ve lost quite a bit of our golf course here.”
Because of the flood threat, the provincial government has ordered the lake be lowered. A big pump was being installed Thursday.
“We’ll pump only when we’re allowed to and as much as they allow us to,” says Nabe.
That’s because the water will end up downstream in nearby Willowbrook which already has flooding problems.
Residents of the small community have laid out long lines of sandbags around their properties and along a creek.
They’ve also hired an excavator operator to dredge the nearly overflowing creek.
“I couldn’t access my property,” says Marina Hugo. “I had to bring in a lot of gravel, raise the ground, and put in rocks to stop the water taking the road off.”
And the provincial government has trenched two Willowbrook roads, digging up undersized and overwhelmed culverts to try to let the water flow through more freely.
“The weather is coming, with rain and warmer temperatures,” says Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen spokesperson Cameron Baughen. “If we see a sudden snow melt, these systems could be overwhelmed. So by moving water through in a controlled manner we have the potential to manage it. If it becomes uncontrolled, because of a dam break or any other issue, we can’t.”
While residents and officials try to deal with the flood waters, they’re bracing for more to come. The spring rains and snowmelt are only just beginning.
“The concerns will probably be ongoing for the next few months,” says Baughen.