Heavy rainfall over the weekend has led to washouts in Fruitvale and Warfield due to high waters on Beaver and Trail creeks.
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary says high water is expected to remain for a couple of days before it recedes. Creekside Park and the footbridge in Fruitvale will be closed until further notice.
The RDKB has activated its emergency operations centre to support the public works departments in both villages.
“Safety fencing has been erected around the affected areas in Fruitvale and Warfield but we ask the public to stay away from swollen river banks, especially with pets and children,” RDKB emergency manager Mark Stephens said.
“As the seasons and weather conditions change, the water’s edge is not a safe place to be,” says RDKB’s emergency manager and EOC Director Mark Stephens. No homes are affected by the washouts and no evacuation alerts or orders have been issued but we will continue to monitor weather and stream flow daily throughout the region.”
It follows a long weekend of heavy rain that saw the region placed under a high streamflow advisory. Stephens says no matter where you live, it’s a good idea to start preparing for the freshet.
“The changing seasons is a good reminder for the public to review their personal preparedness plans. With the changing conditions we’re also reminding residents to be extra vigilant near riverbanks and to stay away from them, particularly with pets and children.”
The regional emergency program monitors the snow pack, river levels and weather conditions closely and compares these conditions to the RDKB’s flood response plan.
The Boundary is one of the few areas in the province with an abnormally-high snowpack. It stood at 123 per cent at the beginning of March. The next monthly bulletin is due out Wednesday.
Stephens said all of the RDKB got poured on over the weekend, but Greater Trail received the heaviest amounts.
“Low-elevation streams and creeks are quite swollen right now,” he said. “We expect those to start going down over the next couple of days.
“We will continue to monitor conditions throughout this year’s freshet to keep the public and stakeholders up to date with any changes. If you have experienced flooding in the past or know that your property can experience flooding, it’s a good time to exercise personal preparedness.”
The RDKB is reviewing stream flow data throughout the region daily. It will be publishing the freshet dashboard weekly until it gets closer to peak freshet season, and more frequent reports are needed. These can be accessed at emergency.rdkb.com.
