Families living in Stump Lake are asking for immediate help from the Thompson Nicola Regional District and the Ministry of Transportation.
Cindy Coelho says her family and at least four others on the north end of the lake are completely cut off.
“There is culvert that runs through Old Kamloops Road, which is the main access to Stump Lake. That culvert plugged yesterday. It burst. The entire road is gone. There is literally a river running through this culvert, through the Stump Lake Ranch, totally impassable. We are told we have a south exit. Even the ranch hands this morning said that is impassable. You can’t even go through.”
Coelho says cabins on the south end of the lake are in imminent danger of being flooded.
She says her family has plenty of groceries.
“Usually when you live at the lake you are well stocked. My concern is about health issues and emergency issues. There is no way any emergency vehicles will be able to have access to north end homes. If we require that service we have nothing. We have no way to get out and we have no way for people to come in.”
As for what can be done to help.
“Go to the end of the lake dig it out and let the water run.”
However she admits if they do drain off some of the lake it could threaten First Nations communities downstream.
Coelho adds the situation is frustrating after residents tried to engage both the ministry of transportion and TNRD for solutions after last year’s flooding.