Options Considered For Lumby Floods

Written by Glen Morrison 107.5 KISSFM Thursday, 03 October 2013 15:28
There are some answers to Lumby's flood control concerns with more to come. The Regional District of North Okanagan has received the first of a series of reports on what can be done to counter the almost annual problem. Board chair Patrick Nicol says one option is to stay as is, a second is to reduce reservoir levels in the fall at a cost of 50 thousand dollars a year, but he says that's something that could increase the risk of water shortages for Greater Vernon. Nicol says the village will be asked to complete hydrology studies. "That study will assess the impact of the three creeks that drain through Lumby and determine the significance of the flows in Duteau Creek to ther flooding risks," Nicol tells Kiss FM. He says that would cost up to 50 thousand dollars, while a second study, could be around 100 thousand. Something else they're floating is a response to Interior Health wanting the Aberdeen Plateau reservoir dam increased by four meters under the master water plan. "It would faciliate growth and protect against water shortages in multi year droughts," says Nicol. The suggestion is Lumby pick up the cost of another meter in height, which would never be used for storage, just as a safety buffer. That would cost the village 3.5 million dollars.