How we can help drain the lake!!

[TheDeuce]

I have an idea for what to do with the excess lake water. We should get some sort of tankers to fill with water from the lake. They could possibly be stored at the airport. Not only would be removing water from the lake, we could save the water for use during forest fire season, or to pump back into the lake when we are on water restrictions and have low water levels.

Post some comments or other ideas.

[Graham Adder]

Let's refer to these figures:

5,600,000,000 litres / day
5700 Olympic Swimming Pools

2,500,000 Litres in an Olympic Pool

45,000 Litres capacity in a DC-10 Airtanker
55 trips to drain one pool.

If each Airtanker did an amazing 55 trips per day (impossible) to drain one pool, we would need 5700 Airtankers doing that many fills each day.

I don't think air tankers are gonna help.

I think it's safe to say there is NO solution that we can come up with at this point.
The ONLY thing we can do is sit, in wait to see what happens with Nature, and to see what all of these measures we are taking fetch for results.

Don't worry.
Be happy.

We're along for the ride folks.
Grab a cold one on your way by the fridge and pull up a chair.
This is a once in a lifetime (potentially) movie we get to watch.

[PuppyLove]

The idea was mentioned to suspend water restrictions and temporarily waive water consumption rates. Could unlimited irrigation and sprinkling lower the lake?

The argument was that it would all eventually flow back into the lake, BUT... why not remove the water restrictions and allow unlimited irrigation and watering. Most of it would likely be absorbed by the grass/farms or evaporate and SOME may flow back in to the lake.

Why not suspend water restrictions and waive the water consumption rates?

Who would make a decision to reduce revenue that might help the people?

[gypsy68]

Thinking that if water restrictions we're lifted, not to mention, what about the forestry using lake water to put out forest fires and watering some of those areas at high risk in the near future. There is no one solution, they are all drops/out of the lakes/but every bit helps and really not comprehending why there's a water restriction on right now anyway for areas that aren't in the flood zone and on septic.

[Jlabute]

I am all for suspending water restrictions... not because it will help drain the lake, but because we have plenty of water... and reduce the cities price on water and delivery, because it is too high as it is and only because they want people to conserve.


5700 water bombers in the sky would be quite a sight! lol. I can't imagine there wouldn't be a collision or two. I think the DC10 though needs to be filled before takeoff. The MARs water bomber can scoop from the lake but only holds 27000L so maybe we need 10,000 of them. lol

[Graham Adder]

Anyone got a 15,000 Kilometer hose they wanna donate to a good cause?
I hear Africa could use some of this excess.
It'll take a HUGE amount of "suck" to get that siphon going.
Hey, "weedlover", got a favor to ask.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Any water going into the ground will likely RAISE the water table. The same one they been pumping for weeks to LOWER so we dont get flooding via the storm sewers..

[bweller51]

I noticed a comment on allowing all to water lawns etc and taking the fee for water off during this period which I think sounds great. The previous reply said that the water evaporating from the lake would be equal to the usage so it wasn't a good idea. Duh water evaporated by the lake plus residential usage equals x2. Plus my yard absorbs and evaporates water very quickly as do most here in the Okanagan. Especially now with close to 30 degree temperatures.Very little would return to the lake if any at all.
It is the revenue lost ( greed) by the city of Kelowna and West Kelowna they both don't want to loose.
Wake up City officials if flooding occurs the water revenue will be a drop in the bucket (excuse the pun) compared to the cost of damage and remediation necessary to clean up the mess. Make the decision lift water fees for the month of June while the hot weather is hear. Everyone can help do their part. We will have a green city again and maybe even prevent what is coming very soon. Wake up, Wake up, Wake up

[dogspoiler]

We have been hearing of the depletion of area aquafers. I wonder if there is some way to get some of the excess water into them. Sounds like a win win if it could be done.

[the truth]

I noticed a comment on allowing all to water lawns etc and taking the fee for water off during this period which I think sounds great. The previous reply said that the water evaporating from the lake would be equal to the usage so it wasn't a good idea. Duh water evaporated by the lake plus residential usage equals x2. Plus my yard absorbs and evaporates water very quickly as do most here in the Okanagan. Especially now with close to 30 degree temperatures.Very little would return to the lake if any at all.
It is the revenue lost ( greed) by the city of Kelowna and West Kelowna they both don't want to loose.
Wake up City officials if flooding occurs the water revenue will be a drop in the bucket (excuse the pun) compared to the cost of damage and remediation necessary to clean up the mess. Make the decision lift water fees for the month of June while the hot weather is hear. Everyone can help do their part. We will have a green city again and maybe even prevent what is coming very soon. Wake up, Wake up, Wake up

agree 100%, on the surface sure looks like the city had put zero effort into any good idea's

[GordonH]

Unfortunately the only way to lower Okanagan lake levels is to open water level controls. Problem is opening to maximum, would most likely cause major flooding to south Okanagan (well adding to flooding already happening). I suspect those gates are open as far as they dare to.

So it a waiting game until snowpack no longer increases the lake height.

Added: Of course add into the mix the US

[the truth]

flood the us, they want are water give them some

[GordonH]

flood the us, they want are water give them some

Fairplay... US does very little to control Red River flowing north when it floods.

[the truth]

yup................sad but true

[Bsuds]

Anyone got a 15,000 Kilometer hose they wanna donate to a good cause?
I hear Africa could use some of this excess.
It'll take a HUGE amount of "suck" to get that siphon going.
Hey, "weedlover", got a favor to ask.

Shouldn't take much to do that. Water runs downhill and all the maps I see Africa is down from us.
Same with California, it's down from us and they are always crying for water. Let's just run a few hoses or build a pipeline.