Flood Review

[Fancy]

lake level is lowered slowly all summer and winter to account for snow melt in spring this time they felt they were smarter than mother nature and payed the price been the way since they started controlling lake level

And since the snow pack was lower than normal in April I'm guessing the lake wasn't lowered slowly this past year in accordance to previous years according to your post.

[Fancy]

the level was higher on my buddies dock last spring than it usually is at the end of summer that's a screw up any way I look at it

I've got pictures that say some years the lake level is high and some years it's not at the same time of year.

[Urban Cowboy]

*removed*

And since the snow pack was lower than normal in April I'm guessing the lake wasn't lowered slowly this past year in accordance to previous years according to your post.

Exactly and as much was stated back in the spring.

Had the lake been lowered, and the late snow and subsequent rains not materialized, the same guy would have been raked over the coals for allowing too much water out of the lake, and no doubt by the same people.

[LTD]

*removed* I'm not sure if you actually get how overfull the lake really was

[Glacier]

*removed* I'm not sure if you actually get how overfull the lake really was

The 2017 lake level peaked on June 11th at 343.27m above sea level. Castanet claimed that the record is 343.28m (set in 1948), but the government documents say it's either 343.074m, 343.13m, or 343.25m depending on which document you read: https://questioningthedata.wordpress.co ... ews-media/

So it's not entirely clear if the old record was beat or not.

[PDT]

I can google too...

Here's a Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks document from 2000:
http://www.obwb.ca/obwrid/docs/023_2000 ... n_Lake.pdf

In 1948, prior to implementation of the Joint Board's recommendations, a major flood hit the Okanagan Valley. This time Okanagan Lake reached a maximum level of 1126.25 feet (343.28 metres). Again, widespread damage occurred throughout the valley prompting calls for action on the Board's recommendations.

So, it's not just Castanet who is "claiming" this "record". We get that you have some sort of hate-on for media, but still...

[Ken7]

Someone suggested recently when we spoke of this that due to the excessive wet spring the ground was saturated. Due to this the melt did not get held back it all ran.

If this is true, it could have been difficult to predict what the outcome would be.

Sorry...I did not read the previous 5 pages.

[dirtybiker]

Sorry...I did not read the previous 5 pages.

Just like the majority of threads, you missed little and come out
with, in my mind very close to the correct conclusion !

[Fancy]

Someone suggested recently when we spoke of this that due to the excessive wet spring the ground was saturated. Due to this the melt did not get held back it all ran.

If this is true, it could have been difficult to predict what the outcome would be.

Sorry...I did not read the previous 5 pages.

It's known about the saturated ground but that fact hasn't changed anyone's minds who think water should have been released faster.

[AlienSoldier]

You can't just open flood gates to release water. There are treaty's and rules on how fast (min and max) you can release as it affects dams, rivers, communities, etc. down from the dam. Yes, this caused damage to Kelowna properties but releasing water faster might have created more issues.

An alternative is to increase the space between the lake and homes (or increase their insurance for flooding) and increase wetlands which can handle more water during extreme weather events.

[Grandan]

I can google too...

Here's a Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks document from 2000:
http://www.obwb.ca/obwrid/docs/023_2000 ... n_Lake.pdf

In 1948, prior to implementation of the Joint Board's recommendations, a major flood hit the Okanagan Valley. This time Okanagan Lake reached a maximum level of 1126.25 feet (343.28 metres). Again, widespread damage occurred throughout the valley prompting calls for action on the Board's recommendations.

So, it's not just Castanet who is "claiming" this "record". We get that you have some sort of hate-on for media, but still...

Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks document from 2000:
http://www.obwb.ca/obwrid/docs/023_2000 ... n_Lake.pdf

Just because there was a maximum in 1948 does not mean it was the all time maximum,
If you read the fine print 1904 had a maximum water level that was 17" higher (0.44m)

The highest recorded natural lake level was determined to be 107.0 feet (343.72 metres) in
1904, although there were reports of higher levels in both 1894 and 1896.
B Symonds (09/05/2000) Page 1
River Improvements for Navigation:
Prior to 1909 there had been no alterations made to either Okanagan River

[TMBOkanagan]

You can't just open flood gates to release water. There are treaty's and rules on how fast (min and max) you can release as it affects dams, rivers, communities, etc. down from the dam. Yes, this caused damage to Kelowna properties but releasing water faster might have created more issues.

An alternative is to increase the space between the lake and homes (or increase their insurance for flooding) and increase wetlands which can handle more water during extreme weather events.

And reduce site coverage of impermeable surfaces, restrict basements in the floodplain, build storm water retention ponds...

[steve mc]

there was no downstream problems we didnot open floodgate soon enough, I checked all the dams all the way to mouth of columbia river there were not restricting any release of water. some of the upper snowpac can be diverted to the nicol river and fraser river.

[Urban Cowboy]

there was no downstream problems we didnot open floodgate soon enough, I checked all the dams all the way to mouth of columbia river there were not restricting any release of water. some of the upper snowpac can be diverted to the nicol river and fraser river.

"Did not open floodgate soon enough", in hindsight which is always 20/20.

Had the person in charge known all the factors about to happen ahead of time, no doubt he would have opened the gates to increase outflow sooner.

[steve mc]

why didn;t they know thats the job,