With the way Okanagan Lake is currently receding, officials predict it will be back to full pool- or normal- in about 3 weeks.
But the recovery process is expected to take longer.
The lake dropped another 1.5 centimetres from yesterday and now sits at 342.949 metres above sea level. Most beaches are expected to reopen when the lake drops another 34.9 centimetres.
Ron Mattuissi, Director of the Emergency Operations Centre, says they are in stage 1 of the demobilization process.
It involves crews removing some flood protection measures from public areas and residents slowly removing the estimated 2 million sandbags that were distributed.
“We’d ask homeowners to monitor their property, they know their property, they know what they need to protect, and if they could start moving bags, they can start moving them to the front of their lawn” said Mattuissi.
Residents should still keep a wall that protects against wind and wave against to a height of 60 centimetres above the current lake level.
Stage 2- which is expected to go well into August- will see crews going through neighborhoods and removing sandbags from front lawns and backyards as well as the remaining flood protection measures from public parks and beaches.
Of the 160 wildfire crews that helped put up all the flood protection measures since the emergency started two months ago, at least 80 are expected to remain to help take it all down- as long as they’re not needed to fight any fires.
“The faster we get the job done, the faster we can get the crews out and not be at risk of losing them,” said Mattuissi.
As for debris that has washed up on shores: the province is funding the removal of broken docks, garbage and barrels that has landed on public land, but residents are responsible for any small debris that washes up on their property.
Mattuisi says about $12 million has been spent on the flood response so far, but added that by the time it's all said and done, including damage, the figure is expected to be higher.