Kelowna

City crews and contractors have spent weeks clearing tons of wood and debris off Kelowna beaches, a result of high river and creek flows throughout the spring and early summer.

Photo: Jennifer Zielinski - Castanet File Photo

The fact the work is taking place shouldn't come as any surprise -- however, the amount of debris hauled away to the Glenmore Landfill might.

"We've taken, as of June 22, almost 160 tons of wood off our public beaches," says Parks Manager, Ian Wilson.

"We've had a whole bunch more since then. I've asked the landfill to run a report for me because I thought this has to be a high number."

While nobody seems to remember a year quite like this the unusually large amount of woody debris being taken to the landfill isn't much of a concern.

Landfill operator, Ken Muller, says only a small portion of that debris will actually be buried. Most, he says, will be utilized.

"Hopefully we'll be able to use it, grind it up and compost it," says Muller, who adds there is still a lot to come.

"It's not over yet. I'm talking to the guy who's job was cleaning up the parks. He said he used to be able to handle the stuff that washed up on the beaches himself with a pick-up truck."

Now, the city has had to hire contractors to haul the stuff off the beaches.