Kamloops has taken extra steps to prepare for possible flooding at one of the most flood-prone areas of the city.

Campbell Creek has flooded in two of the past three years, and utility services manager Greg Wightman says the city has brought in new equipment this year.

“We’ve installed something called a smart cover on the Blackwell Bridge above Campbell Creek. And that will provide us real-time, live data on the creek level beneath the bridge. Hopefully it reduces our reliance on staff a little bit, in the past we’ve had staff out there physically measuring the distance of the water below the bridge. This smart cover will hopefully reduce our reliance on staff, which of course with COVID might be a little bit challenged.”

He also says flood prevention in the creek is also about not letting too much water out of irrigation dams at Shumway and Scuitto lakes.

Wightman says sandbags and sand are available at the Barnhartvale Community Hall and the BC Wildlife Park.

Anyone picking up sand this year needs to bring their own shovel, because of the potential risk of spreading COVID-19.