The Village of Lumby has been reassured flood mitigation and fish flows are top priorities in managing Greater Vernon Water supply.
The village sent RDNO a letter in May, on behalf of its residents, businesses and industrial land owners, concerned that the Duteau Creek Storage Reservoirs had been allowed to fill to capacity and that further water would pass over the spillway structures at the dams, possibly flooding Duteau Creek.
“Residents and business owners are becoming weary and fear losses due to flooding,” wrote Mayor Kevin Acton.
Lumby requested RDNO staff look at releasing water in late winter and early spring when creek levels below the reservoir are at their lowest levels, and contact the province to request dredging work be done on Duteau Creek below the water treatment plant over the next year or two to help increase the capacity of the creek and mitigate flooding.
RDNO directors will also ask the village if it’s interested in financially partnering with raising the reservoir dams if that is a viable option.
“We’ll see what the best cause of action is,” said Acton. “We want to work on a solution to fix flooding in Lumby that’s excellent and cost-efficient.”
OCP adopted
Electoral Area F rural Enderby’s official community plan is just that: official.
The plan was adopted by electoral area directors at the RDNO regular board meeting.
“The OCP is a guideline,” said Area F director Herman Halvorson. “It covers everything off. Everybody was happy with that in my area.”
A public hearing on the plan was held July 7 and there was significant opposition to any mention of the Shuswap River Watershed Sustainability Plan, in regards to boating restrictions and property values, being included in the plan.
A total of 32 written and 14 in-person presentations were received at the public hearing, with all of them asking for any reference to the watershed plan be removed from the OCP.
Electoral Area Advisory Committee chairperson Bob Fleming said the plan is in the OCP only as a reference point.
Electoral area directors voted unanimously to hire a consultant to work with all groups to review options for the entire Shuswap River.