Lumby’s mayor is being told not to ring alarm bells over flooding.
During Wednesday’s Regional District of North Okanagan board meeting, Vernon director Juliette Cunningham expressed concern that Kevin Acton has linked possible flooding in Lumby to the Okanagan Basin Water Board’s water conservation campaign.
“We have to be cautious about our statements and it’s confusing to the public,” said Cunningham, who is an OBWB director.
“We don’t know what the weather patterns will be in the next couple of months (with drought). We have to be responsible to the public to have water when they turn on their taps.”
However, Acton stands by his comments that there currently isn’t a risk of drought and maintaining water in full reservoirs now could create problems downstream.
“None of the local governments are being consulted (by OBWB),” he said.
Acton also takes exception to OBWB’s claims that water conservation is needed now to ensure there is sufficient water to fight summer wildfires.
“I haven’t heard such fear-mongering,” he said.
It was pointed out to Acton that Lumby is in the Shuswap drainage system and not the Okanagan watershed.
“OBWB is not speaking to Lumby,” said Doug Dirk, a Coldstream director who sits on OBWB.
However, Acton says Greater Vernon controls water on the Duteau Creek system and that can lead to flooding in the village.
Lumby is demanding that RDNO take action to minimize the potential of flooding when water is spilling out of reservoirs.
The issue of potential flooding in Lumby will be brought to the next Greater Vernon Advisory Committee meeting for discussion.