Mill Creek flooding, who cares?

[WalterWhite]

The question is, why were the property owners turned away the first time

Can I take a "stab " at this ???

Because they should know that WHEN YOU LIVE NEXT TO A BODY OF WATER , YOU SHOULD EXPECT FLOODING ......

I don't care if you live 30 , 40 , or 50 meters away from an ocean , lake , river or stream .. Unless you are actually smarter than Mother Nature , the weather or GOD "him"self .. You can't tell me that this is someone else's "responsibility" ,....

You just GOTTA know this "might" happen ..,.... Oy vey.

This response is getting old and tiresome MAP - and does nothing to answer the question. We get it - everyone living in the valley bottom is an idiot according to those living high and dry in their ivory towers. So again I ask, why didn't the city deposit sand when residents first voiced concerns about flooding?

[WalterWhite]

As a kid our property flooded pretty well every spring, no government agency on any level would help.
Reason being area's of your farm are on the flood plain, we knew that. So we never asked we knew the response.

So over many years my parents built up those areas by bring in many trucks loads of dirt.

Added: my suggestion to homeowners along Mill Creek, find out if you can install concrete wall along your section of the creek. If so serious think about it... yes its an expense.

That's great Gordon - but we're talking about urban areas in downtown Kelowna - not rural farmland. Again, following the logic of some here, if flood plain issues were to be observed to the letter - Kelowna as we know it would not exist. Sorry, but that's absurd. Furthermore, the city permitted the homes and businesses currently being affected to have been built in the first place, and happily collects taxes from each and every one of them. No state of emergency has been declared, which would have explain ed the 180° turn in the city's decision to supply sand.

[GordonH]

^^^ its still flood plain, since water ways are under the Province to high water level. Last time I checked.
Thats who will would have had to deal with, which we did not since we already knew the answer.

CoK is stepping in now because its effecting city streets & parks.

[monroe]

CoK is stepping in now because its effecting city streets & parks

Exactly what i thought before i read your comment Gord.


The city has to have somthing to base its call to action - 1 or 2 properties flooding most likely doesnt cut it.

The last 24hrs is a totally different story.

[WalterWhite]

CoK is stepping in now because its effecting city streets & parks

Exactly what i thought before i read your comment Gord.


The city has to have somthing to base its call to action - 1 or 2 properties flooding most likely doesnt cut it.

The last 24hrs is a totally different story.

One would expect there to be a clear directive on the matter by the city if that were the case, which I highly doubt it is. Can you imagine being one of those first couple of property owners? Last time I checked Gordon - no one was (or ever has for that matter) sandbagging city streets or parks to protect them.

[WalterWhite]

Capt. Leimert (sp?) from the KFD clearly states at the end of this video that residents can contact the city to request sand and sand bags???

https://www.facebook.com/newskelowna/vi ... 876813299/

[What_the]

Haven't read through the whole thread but something strikes me after a few posts -
There's a statistical odd that ones house will burn down, mine won't because I'm fire smart and made sure that the things that could cause a fire are mitigated.
Why should I spend my tax payer dollars on fire departments?

Off topic sensor work around And we're supposed to look after one another, even when short sightedness may rear it's head.

[monroe]

^^ i agree, to a point. But what youre talking about here is the differece between a municipalities civic duty to cover it residents and, an insurance claim.

[JayByrd]

Added: my suggestion to homeowners along Mill Creek, find out if you can install concrete wall along your section of the creek. If so serious think about it... yes its an expense.

The wall would have to be erected on one's own property. The creek and it's banks are a riparian zone, and under Provincial jurisdiction. You can't build anything in that zone.

[acrent7]

I am truly sorry for all the flooding...but when you live in a flood plain....umm....isn't this expected every year?

[JayByrd]

I am truly sorry for all the flooding...but when you live in a flood plain....umm....isn't this expected every year?

There is always a risk of it, just like a large number of homes in Kelowna are at risk of an interface forest fire.

Just because it's "expected" doesn't mean people just shrug and carry on like nothing's happening.

I live on a floodplain. Mill Creek is 50 feet from my back patio. Less than that, now. I'm not hysterical, but obviously I'm concerned.

[GordonH]

Added: my suggestion to homeowners along Mill Creek, find out if you can install concrete wall along your section of the creek. If so serious think about it... yes its an expense.

The wall would have to be erected on one's own property. The creek and it's banks are a riparian zone, and under Provincial jurisdiction. You can't build anything in that zone.

Number of section already along this creek have concrete on 1 or both sides.
I'm just suggesting to those who don't maybe look into this.

[WalterWhite]

Added: my suggestion to homeowners along Mill Creek, find out if you can install concrete wall along your section of the creek. If so serious think about it... yes its an expense.

The wall would have to be erected on one's own property. The creek and it's banks are a riparian zone, and under Provincial jurisdiction. You can't build anything in that zone.

Number of section already along this creek have concrete on 1 or both sides.
I'm just suggesting to those who don't maybe look into this.

There's a good chance most of the walls existing were built around the same time the residences were - which is decades ago. As JayByrd pointed out - it's within the riparian area, and without prior approval from provincial ministry of lands & resources alterations of any kind are not permitted.

One issue that doesn't get much consideration, is silt deposits in tributaries greatly changes the volume of water a creek can support, and over time this generally diminishes. Some may recall a number of years ago Mission Creek being "dredged" by excavators in a number of sections of the creek, to lower the creek bottom and remove large silt build-ups that had reduced the creek's ability to contain run-off water in these sections. I don't recall anything similar ever being performed on Mill Creek, and therefore the volume we're seeing right now possibly wouldn't have been an issue 20-30 years ago.

[acrent7]

I am truly sorry for all the flooding...but when you live in a flood plain....umm....isn't this expected every year?

There is always a risk of it, just like a large number of homes in Kelowna are at risk of an interface forest fire.

Just because it's "expected" doesn't mean people just shrug and carry on like nothing's happening.

I live on a floodplain. Mill Creek is 50 feet from my back patio. Less than that, now. I'm not hysterical, but obviously I'm concerned.

That's what I'm saying...i agree that it shouldn't be shrugged off and sure we should all pitch in but if you build a home in the flood plain then...ummm......why would you buy a home in a flood risk zone???? or an avalanche zone.........

[maryjane48]

anyone care now ?