Kootenay Lake levels in Nelson have peaked and will start to slowly decline over the next week or so.
This is a result of the arrival of cooler temperatures and much of the lower and mid-range snow levels having melted over the past number of weeks.
According to Fortis BC, lake levels reached 1752.2 feet (534.07 metres) at Queens Bay and have most likely peaked, even though last week they were expecting that we could see levels meeting or exceeding those in 2012 of 1753.8 feet (534.56 metres).
“This is great news,” says Nelson’s fire chief Len MacCharles. “As long as we don’t see any significant storms with heavy rainfall, we are unlikely to surpass the current lake levels and that’s good for everybody. We just need enough precipitation to keep the nearby forests from becoming too dry and susceptible to wildfire.”
This is also good news for city crews who had been preparing for higher water levels and can now focus on the usual work for this time of year.
Sports field users had all been contacted with the potential of seeing some of the fields unusable during the anticipated high water, but it is looking like that might not be the case.
The city still advises caution around all creeks banks and shorelines for safety and to protect the environment.