High Water and Flooding Continues to Cause Problems Locally
See pertinent Crawford Bay information below in bold…
BROADWATER ROAD OPEN FOR SINGLE LANE TRAFFIC, SLOCAN VALLEY WEST ROAD STILL CLOSED; OTHER AREA INCIDENTS ADDRESSED FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2012 – 1600 Hours
Broadwater Road north of Robson has been opened to single lane traffic following a landslide that closed the road Saturday evening between Deer Park and McLean Road. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) contractors were able to get the road passable for campers at Syringa Provincial Park and Deer Park residents. Scottie’s Marina was also impacted by the closure.
Slocan Valley West Road will remain closed due to water flowing over the road until further assessment and remediation planning can occur. A flyover of impacted areas throughout the district shows the Slocan River is impacting land bordering its banks and has considerable debris flow, although it has dropped slightly from last night’s peak level.
One resident was evacuated from Picard Road, north and west of Winlaw, under an evacuation order issued earlier today for two homes where low-lying properties border the river. The river is near a 25 year high level currently.
In Crawford Bay, a section of the bank of Crawford Creek is experiencing water overtopping and piping through in places. Work is ongoing and an evacuation alert has been issued for four homes that could be affected if there is a significant breach or failure.
REGIONAL DISTRICT OF CENTRAL KOOTENAY 202 Lakeside Drive, Box 590, Nelson, B.C. V1L 5R4 Phone 250-352-6665 Fax 250-352-9300 Toll Free in B.C. 1-800-268-7325
June 25, 2012:
KOOTENAY LAKE LEVEL STILL NOT AT PEAK, WILL REMAIN HIGH FOR NEXT TEN DAYS TO TWO WEEKS
The RDCK Emergency Operations Centre wants to inform residents living on Kootenay Lake that BC Hydro advises the lake has not yet reached its peak level.
Inflow/outflow information from contributing dams, weather forecasts and the inflow of high-elevation snowpack melt from creeks and streams indicates the lake will continue to rise marginally in the next few days and remain at high levels until at least July 4, 2012. International treaty obligations are also a factor.
Currently the lake level is 1752.9 feet (534.28 metres). BC Hydro is expecting the lake to peak in the next few days at a level of 1753.2 feet before gradually dropping. This will be the highest level in almost 50 years. In 1974, Kootenay Lake peaked at 1754.24 feet.
Rainfall events forecast over the next few days – particularly isolated thundershowers should they occur – could increase levels at a more rapid rate than forecast. Rain is expected over the next few days along with below seasonal temperatures, which should keep inflows to current or slightly increased levels.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is providing sand for residents at the North Shore Hall, Heroux Road at Nine Mile, Balfour Fire Hall and in Ainsworth at the Silver Ledge site. Sand bags are available at most Regional District fire halls, the Kaslo Public Works yard and at RDCK’s head office on Lakeside Drive in Nelson.
High wind gusts accompanying weather systems can raise lake levels in the short term. Boaters are asked to keep their speed down when approaching or near the shoreline. Boaters should also be aware of floating debris in Kootenay Lake due to the high water levels.
For more information on personal and family preparedness including details on proper sandbagging techniques, visit: www.pep.bc.ca.
For Kootenay Lake Levels, visit: www.fortisbc.com/Electricity/CustomerService/KootenayLakeLevels
For information on river levels, visit: http://bcrfc.env.gov.bc.ca/warnings
For RDCK Public Notices, visit: http://www.rdck.bc.ca/publicinfo/notices.html .
TO REPORT A FLOODING EMERGENCY CALL 1 800 663-3456