Ready for spring melt

The man in charge of the Penticton dam says a recently-released report saying the province responded appropriately to record flooding in the Okanagan last year has vindicated him.

The 109-page report indicated last spring's severe flooding was a result of unusual weather patterns, as opposed to mismanagement of water levels.

Many pointed fingers at Shaun Reimer, head of public safety and protection for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, who was in control of the dam. 

"I'm very appreciative of all the work that went into that report," Reimer said. "Certainly I did several interviews and provided a lot of information. Myself, along with a whole host of people from my ministry and beyond."

There were 65 recommendations in the independent report, and Reimer said one major change will be keeping a record management system to show the rationale behind his decisions at the dam.

Reimer said the ministry is in "better shape than last year" for preparing for the spring freshet.

He said just over 30 cubic metres of water are flowing through the Penticton dam each second right now, drawing Okanagan Lake down about 0.5 centimetres each day — essentially creating a reserve for the large snowpack to melt.

By April or May, the water flow will likely be above 50 cubic metres at the dam — peaking in late June when it could potentially be above 60 depending on weather, Reimer said. 

That compares to last year's high water flow of more than 70 cubic metres. 

While a high water flow is inevitable, Reimer reiterated that flooding isn't.

"We've had higher snowpacks than we're seeing right now that didn't result in any widespread flooding... It's really going to depend on the precipitation we see going forward and how quickly the (snowpack) comes into the lake."