(Photo: Columbia Shuswap Regional District)

While water levels on the Salmon River are beginning to drop, attention has shifted towards Shuswap Lake.

Columbia Shuswap Regional District spokesperson, Tracy Hughes, says Shuswap Lake levels are increasing rapidly.

“The graph is quite steep as all that high-elevation snowpack is melting and running off into a Shuswap Lake so this is creating the potential for some flooding.”

Hughes says some of the lowest-lying properties may experience flooding in the coming weeks.

“Right now, we’re looking pretty good. The lake was quite low this year so it’s given us some extra capacity,” she said. “That being said, the lake could come up fairly quickly and we are looking at an earlier peak than normal this season simply because of these high temperatures.”

Last year, Hughes says the Shuswap peaked in early July, noting that this year, they are predicting to see peak high water levels between late May and early June.

She suggests property owners in low-lying areas along the Shuswap are suggested to start thinking about taking precautions.

“Right now, it is going up fairly quickly, but it’s hard to say which way it’s gonna go. Precipitation plays a huge role in how much rain we get over the next little while. But, you need to start thinking about taking precautions if you are in a situation where you’re in a particularly low-lying area.”

Homeowners with docks are being advised to check them daily to ensure it’s safely secured, and boaters are being warned to watch out for debris on the lake.

“Due to this intense and quick outflow into the lake, it’s bringing a lot of debris, so we want our boaters to be careful. There’s a lot of branches, logs may be submerged under the surface and can’t easily be seen.”

Meanwhile, Hughes says some high-water issues remain for properties surrounding the Salmon River.

While she is not anticipating any significant issues in the larger rivers, heavy rainstorms or precipitation could affect smaller water systems with steep slopes.

“Certainly, all our steep creeks and streams on steep slopes are always a concern because that can translate into land slippage on unstable banks.”

Hughes is advising people to take precautions as river levels on the Salmon River are still high and moving quickly.