The final report of the Flood Prevention Plan for Keremeos Creek was received by the Environment and Infrastrucutre Committee of the regional district board on Jan. 26.
Former Area “G” Director Elef Christensen was successful in lobbying for a $25,000 grant from Emergency Management BC’s Flood Protection Program early in 2011. Onsite Engineering Ltd. was the successful bidder out of seven responses to the Request for Proposals that was issued.
The committee received a summary of the report’s findings and recommendations on Jan. 26. RDOS Engineering Technician Lisa Bloomfield explained that in bringing the report forward to the Environment and Infrastructure Committee, no money had been set aside in the budget for further work on the issue, so she was asking the committee what the next course of action should be.
There was limited discussion over the issue. Area “B” Director George Bush commented that removal of bedrock from Keremeos Creek (something that was not shown as an option) seemed to be the only way to resolve the issue.
“That would be expensive,” Bloomfield acknowledged.
Area “D” Director Tom Siddon asked whether a reservoir upstream of the floodplain would resolve the issue, to which Bloomfield answered that “the reservoir option wasn’t looked at by the consultant,” while Director Bush suggested that Siddon’s option was a point worthy of consideration.
Chief Administrative Officer Bill Newell explained that any funding for more work would have to come through the creation of a service area, noting the number of people benefitting from an improvement would be low.
Keremeos Director Manfred Bauer commented that those houses affected by flooding were subject to the adage of “buyer beware.”
With no recommendation for action coming forward from the discussion, the report was received by the committee.