Photo: Contributed
Consequences of the Mill Creek flooding last May.
The City of Kelowna will use newly installed monitoring systems to collect “real-time flow and climate metrics” at both Mill and Mission Streams.
The city says the four new monitoring stations installed in the past two years will help better identify clogging and debris overflow
The new system will continuously collect data that will allow better modeling throughout the spring freshness, according to Rod MacLean, director of supply planning.
“Freshet can become a problem when winter snowpacks are melting quickly or when heavy spring rains intensify snowmelt, overwhelming our streams and causing flooding,” says MacLean.
“At this time of year we are always on standby, monitoring our own systems, and working with provincial departments and Environment Canada to monitor all factors that lead to overwhelming amounts of fresh flow and inform planning activities. In recent years nature has become more and more unpredictable. “
According to MacLean, since the 2017 floods, Mill Creeks have increased their capacity, repaired and replaced damaged culverts, removed problematic privately owned pedestrian bridges, and replaced trees in areas above the creek’s natural boundary.
After this year’s runoff, the city expects the construction of new diversion upgrades for Mill Creek.
According to the latest information, the snowpack in key water catchment areas is lower than it was a year ago, according to the city, indicating the possibility of a low risk of flooding.
“But as we have seen in the past, the weather is unpredictable and with just the right mix, local flooding is always possible and owners should be prepared for it,” the city added in a press release.
Sandbags are available from the Kelowna Fire Hall on Enterprise Way, while sand can be purchased from most kindergartens and gravel pits.
Property owners are responsible for protecting their own private property.
