Ellison Lake Water Levels

[trollsonpatrol]

Read the recent headline on Ellison Lake water levels. It really is a multibeaurocratic nightmare. The city of Kelowna has recently installed a 24" pipeline to transfer water past the damaged concrete lined spillway just east of the old Hiram Walker Distillery. However there is a fence just south of there and that is where the pipeline stops. Because of previous water flow through (underground) the ground when the water leaves the concrete liner it then takes a flow back underground. There seems to be many paths, mainly through Holiday Park Resort where this water seems to find a new path.

The ground is very porous and water will take the path of least resistance. The flow into Ellison Lake does not seem to be the same as what comes down the creek from Swallwel Lake. A dye pack trace test would be a simple and inexpensive way to find where the water is going and I don't think the city has gone far enough with this temporary pipeline. Like I said before this is a multibeaurocratic nightmare. In the meantime while politics are being played there could be more done to fix the problem rather than just dealing with symptoms.

[voice of reason]

no one but castanet calls duck lake ellison lake

[LTD]

and beaver lake swallwel

[GordonH]

Part of this is the amount of rain this area has received since the very wet Spring, no were near regular amounts.

[mullyman]

i have calls in to fisheries, with no response.. live on duck lake,where we have had high water issues for years in may/june. there is a sandbag dam in the creek taking water to woods lake. i was told that it was constructed by the fish and game club to ensure that there is enough water for kokanee spawning. the creek is full of blockages, and no agency wants to deal with it, as it goes though band land. Now that homes in lake country were affected by high water runoff, i was hoping that their would be some discussion regarding cleaning out the creekbed, and improving the dam, so the water could be lowered before runoff. I was told that the creek by holiday park originally didnt go into duck lake, and was rerouted by hiram walker. now that the flume has failed, the water merely wants to return to its original course. this year the lake was a record high, and the lowest its been since construction of the dam. dont know who's going to pay for all the septic pumps from holiday park, but its got to me an enormous cost.