Okanagan Lake sits 2 cm below 343 m threshold
Water is continuing to flow into Okanagan Lake faster than it can drain off.
Emergency Operations spokesman Bruce Smith says the water level was only 2 cm shy of the 343-metre mark this morning.
"That's primarily why property owners, and we as local governments have been preparing our flood defences to a level of 343.6 metres. The extra 60 cm buffer is there for weather-related impacts and wave action, as a result of the increasing levels of Okanagan Lake. It's certainly not going down," he said.
He says hotter-than-normal temperatures this weekend will contribute to a high volume of melted snowpack, which people need to be prepared for.
"People need to keep their watch up. They need to keep protecting their properties, they need to make any repairs from Tuesday night that they might have to," he said.
"Local governments are doing the exact same – our infrastructure is being monitored and bolstered."
He says for the most part, people living near the water need to continue stockpiling sandbags on their properties.
Meanwhile, most boat launches in Kelowna are staying open, with emergency officials are asking people to keep staying off Okanagan Lake this weekend.
The city says compliance up to this point has been a factor in not closing them down, and will be looking for the same cooperation, with the Lake quickly approaching a record water level.
Meanwhile, the public boat launches in West Kelowna have been closed down, though that wasn't orginally the plan.
Mayor Doug Findlater says a big reason for staff changing their mind was hearing from lakefront homeowners who are worried about their properties.
Along with the risk of flooding and erosion from wakes, officials are also warning boaters about large debris that's floating in the water.
More information on conditions and flood mitigation is at cordemergency.ca
