
The McArthur Island boat launch in Kamloops
The City of Kamloops will be closing all of its boat launches tomorrow, June 10, as the North and South Thompson rivers continue to rise.
Utility Services Manager, Greg Wightman, says it is all in preparation for the potential of severe flooding this year
“The idea there is that once Kamloops Fire and Rescue can’t effectively get up and down the river with the rescue boat due to the level of water underneath the bridges, we shut it down just to protect the safety,” he said.
“We don’t have control over the river, we can’t ban traffic on the river, but we do close boat launches as a way of keeping people off the river. The side benefit of that is that it does limit some of the wave action as well, which becomes problematic when we get high waters, but really it is done for safety.”
Wightman says closing the boat launches is never a popular move among users, but he says it does help limit the wakes on the river, which can be problematic when the water is as high as it is.
“I know the battle with this in the Okanagan every year as well,” Wightman said, when asked if the City can ask for a ban on boats on the river in times of high water.
“Unfortunately, its just not under our control. It is not a decision we can make. It is a request we can certainly put in [to Transport Canada] if it was being problematic, but we don’t have the authority over traffic on the river.”
City staff will also be removing the railings from the pier at Riverside Park to prevent damage from debris. Two days ago, on June 7, they closed the pathway between Riverside Park and Pioneer Park at the railway overpass due to water overtopping the pathway.
Wightman also says City staff will be increasing the frequency of infrastructure inspections at City-owned dykes, while also sealing catch basins to prevent water from rising up through it.
He is also reminding residents to protect their properties against rising waters, with sand and sandbags available for people who need it.
“This is the time to do it. We’ve got a little bit of a window here to be proactive. Getting into next week, certainly into the middle of next week, if we do have some weather, that is when we are going to be seeing our high water,” Wightman said.
“The peak of the river is probably not until the end of the month, so we got a few weeks left of being worried, and now is the time to get prepared.”
A high streamflow advisory is in place for the North Thompson River and its tributaries around Barriere and Clearwater.
People are being told to stay away from creeks and rivers during the spring freshet. They’re also being told to report any issues they see to the Civic Operations Department at 250-828-3461.