Summerland, B.C. awarded $2M grant for Isintok Dam upgrades

The District of Summerland has been awarded a large grant to upgrade the Isintok Dam spillway.

The grant, equaling $1,939,590, is from the Province’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund for disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation.

“It’s very important that we maintain those dams for public safety. If anything were to happen with that dam, if there was a breach of the dam, then it would be devastating downstream to property, people’s lives, to the environment,” said Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes.

“That’s why we need to make sure it’s upgraded and that’s why the $2 million from the province was very welcome.”

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The upgrades will include the replacement of the existing concrete spillway structure, the widening of the spillway channel, and the replacement of the culvert through the access road with a bridge.

Further work will include the installation of riprap in the modified section of the spillway channel and at bridge abutments, and the installation of a remote monitoring system for reservoir level, dam outflows, precipitation, wind, and temperature.

“If you have flooding of that lake, there needs to be a place for that water to go, and you can’t have it go over the dam. That’s where the devastation would happen,” said Holmes.

“We have what’s called a spillway so to divert that water if it’s over full pool to the reservoir and we need to widen that spillway to meet current standards in light of climate change and everything like that.”

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Recent engineering reviews have flagged concerns about the spillway, including deterioration, which could pose a flood risk to Summerland.

Provincial officials consider the Isintok Damn to be a ‘very high consequence’ dam, meaning if breached it could cause a significant impact downstream.

“Protecting the community is one of the most important things for the municipality, we need to make sure our community is protected,” said Holmes.

“And as climate change happens, there are more and more challenges in that respect.”

According to staff, the nearly $2-million grant is expected to cover the total amount of the project, and construction is set to begin in 2024.

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