Crews have finished installing log booms at three locations on Okanagan Lake to protect public infrastructure and beachfront areas from high waves. For their own safety, the public is asked to stay away from the booms.
The installations are located near Swim Bay in Peachland, Hot Sands Beach in Kelowna’s City Park, and Maude-Roxby Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna. More log booms may be deployed in other areas if needed.
Tolko supplied the logs needed to build the booms, which currently total 500 metres in length.
The log booms are anchored to concrete blocks and marked with buoys. Boaters should keep away from the log booms to avoid damaging their vessels.
“People should avoid the log booms as they are unstable, and hands and feet could become trapped between the logs leading to serious injury or drowning,” says Emergency Operations Centre Director Jim Zaffino
Lakeshore protection measures such as sandbags should stay in place until the Emergency Operations Centre has announced that water levels have receded to the point that it is safe to remove them.
As well, debris washed up on beaches should remain in place. The logs and other wood will help limit erosion caused by wave action.
Sandbags should be returned to active sandbag sites or designated drop-off locations, with the sand still in the bags. These sites are indicated on the map at www.cordemergency.ca.
Under no circumstances should sandbags be emptied into creeks, lakes, wetland, beaches or other watercourses as outlined in the Water Sustainability Act.
The impact can destroy fish habitat and affect drinking water, infrastructure, flood control, navigation and recreational activities. It is also illegal.