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The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations (CORD) has provided an update on the demobilization process of protect flood barriers.
CORD Emergency has transitioned from flood protection to demobilization and today marks the two-month anniversary of the beginning of the emergency.
Looking back over the two months, CORD Emergency describes the work involved in providing necessary flood protection barriers.
"It took 160 B.C. Wildfire Service Crews six weeks to deploy the two million sandbags, five-kilometres of bladder dams and 1.3 kilometres of gabion baskets," stated CORD Emergency. "It will take at least another month to remove all the sandbags."
Demobilization began last week and will continue timed with how quickly the lake levels recede from shorelines across the Central Okanagan.
The removal of sandbags has already started in areas where there is no longer a risk of flooding.
Bladder dam removals also started last week and will continue as lake levels recede.
Property owners with sandbag walls can begin to lower them, but should maintain some sort of a wall that can withstand wind and wave action up to 60 centimeters higher than the current lake level.
Currently, the levels of Okanagan and Kalamalka Lake are sitting at 47 centimeteres above full-pool.
Residents who no longer need sandbags can take them to the roadside of their property where work crews will collect them.
Do not empty any sandbags into creeks, lakes, wetlands, beaches or other natural areas.
After sandbag and bladder dam removals, the second stage involves removing all flood protection.
This process is expected to last into August. Crews will remove protection from both private and public land.
Residents are encouraged to follow the latest CORD Emergency updates for flood removal, lake levels, beach openings and closures and any other information related to the Central Okanagan flooding.
CORD Emergency reminds residents that most beaches are expected to reopen once Okanagan Lake reaches 342.60 metres above sea level.
However, in order for all beaches to reopen and boating activity to return to normal, CORD Emergency is waiting until the level returns to its normal full-pool level of 342.48 metres.
In the past 24 hours, CORD reported that Okanagan Lake dropped 1.5 centimetres to 342.949 metres and Kalamalka Lake dropped 1.5 centimetres and is now at 392.164 metres.
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