Numerous sandbags have been distributed around the region as local lakes and creeks remain swollen, although no major damage has yet been reported.
Regional District of Central Kootenay emergency coordinator Noreen Clayton says while she has not done an inventory, residents have been picking up bags provided by the provincial emergency program.
“We put them out in fire halls and people have been able to pick them up free and fill them,” she says.
They have been used in Vallican, Ainsworth, Queens Bay, and Six Mile, and there have also been problems in Silverton and Sandon, although Clayton isn’t sure whether sandbags were actually deployed there.
In most cases, the work was precautionary and not in response to actual flooding.
“A lot of people did it in preparation — got 100 bags and put them out,” she says. “You’re always advised to do it. It’s a bit of work, but do it anyways.”
Sand has also been dropped off in Balfour and at Nine Mile, where homeowners are guarding the edges of properties to keep water from seeping into basements. While some yards and wharfs have been inundated, she’s not aware of any buildings yet affected.
“Once the water goes down I think we will see some minor issues, but I don’t have any reports of major damage,” Clayton says.
However, high water on Kootenay Lake is believed responsible for a major line break on the Balfour water system last week, which has since been repaired. Soggy ground under the pumphouse may have allowed it to occur.
Although Clayton encourages people to let her know if they incur damage, she says it’s unlikely it will result in compensation, for the provincial emergency program’s disaster relief fund only covers homes, not wharves.
“I’m collecting information so I can provide it to Fortis and BC Hydro to get a sense of where properties are flooding. Maybe there are things we can do in advance, but we don’t know how bad it is until it happens,” she says.
Kootenay Lake held steady the last few days, before rising slightly to 1,751.4 feet (533.8 m) at Queens Bay and 1,749 feet (533 m) at Nelson. Although unusually high, those measurements are still a little lower than last week. Releases from the Libby dam in Montana, which affect Kootenay Lake levels, are decreasing, while the Duncan dam is holding back water.
“Theoretically the lake level should go down. But we’ve had a lot of rain, and there’s a lot of snow still up high,” Clayton says. “River levels have all increased substantially. That’s going to put water into the lake. My guess is it’s going to increase slightly and then go down a bit.”
This year’s snowpack in the Kootenays is 140 per cent of normal, the highest in 30 years.