The latest projections are suggesting people living around Shuswap Lake are likely to avoid extreme flooding, which had been feared just a few days ago.
Officials with the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District now expect the Lake to peak sometime on Saturday or Sunday at 349.1 meters, which is roughly the level seen during the small-scale flooding of the region in 2018.
(Shuswap Lake predictions/CSRD)
“To provide some context, in 2018 the lake level was 349.141, which was a flooding year, for sure, but certainly not as severe as 2012, when it went essentially to 349.5,” said Tracy Hughes, Communications Coordinator for the CSRD.
And while the storms which are rolling into the region this week have been partially factored into the projection, Hughes does caution that they are keeping close watch on the amount of rain the area may get.
“We are reviewing these projections very regularly. Things can change based on factors like temperature, rain fall and snow melt rates,” Hughes noted. “One of the difficult things to predict is exactly where your rainfall is going to take place. That can have a real impact on these projections.”
However, if the projections hold, Hughes says they’re hoping they won’t need to use a specialized “aqua dam” to protect the downtown core of Sicamous, which CSRD officials had earlier warned could be under threat.
“Usually in the case of Sicamous, we would need to do that if the lake reaches 349.2 meters,” said Hughes. “So right now with our projections staying under that, we are –fingers crossed– that we will not need to use those additional resources.”
(Shuswap Lake forecast/Environment Canada – 3pm, Jun 22)
While the worst of the flooding potential could be behind the region after this weekend, Hughes says the above seasonal temperatures expected this weekend is likely to draw a lot of boaters into Shuswap Lake.
She notes boating on Shuswap Lake is still being allowed.
However, the CSRD is putting up signage, asking boaters to keep their wakes to a minimum near the shore line, while also being mindful of the conditions on the water.
“Debris, logs, docks… we’ve had some reports of docks that have come loose and are floating. These are all things that can be hazards for boaters if they’re not paying close attention,” noted Hughes.
