The Similkameen escaped the heaviest of rains predicted from a slow moving frontal system that covered a large part of Southern B.C. and Alberta midway through this week.
Keremeos RCMP and the Keremeos Volunteer Fire Department responded to a potentially dangerous situation late in the evening on June 20, nonetheless.
A rapidly rising Similkameen River spilled into the floodplain that was once the transient farmworkers campground, threatening a number of itinerant farmworkers who continue to use the site, even though it is no longer commissioned for such use.
The KVFD arrived at the site, located behind Keremeos Ready Mix, at 10:45 on June 20 to find close to 40 campers on the floodplain. A number of campers had been temporarily stranded by river water that had risen into the flood channels cutting into the campground area.
“It wasn’t a big deal, “ KVFD Chief Jordy Bosscha said, “although it could have been.”
Bosscha said that the department was able to set up a rope line across the flooding channel to provide an escape route for about 30 campers stranded on higher ground on the other side. He expressed surprise at the number of campers who had taken up residence on the flats.
“There were a number of cars, trucks and campers parked along the access route,” Bosccha also noted.
On Friday morning, the river had subsided considerably. According to one of the campers, the river had dropped considerably since the previous night.
“It was about waist high,” said Leo, indicating a nearby channel that was now flowing about ankle deep.
“We know now that we have 12 hours,” he said, “they told us that it takes that long after it starts to rain.”
Leo said the campers had put stakes in the ground throughout Thursday in order to monitor the depth and rate of the water’s rise. He added that a number of tenters were helped across the channel the night before by the fire department, but only five had left the area. Leo and several others moved their possessions to the top of the dike.
One of the campers who left the site after the fire department showed up returned to the site late Friday morning.
“There were 30 people drinking down there last night who said they were going to wake up and see how it ended,” he said. A number of tents remained scattered throughout the area Friday. There did not appear to be much concern about the river amongst those camping, although several tents remained on top of the dike. Farmworkers who hadn’t been able to work in the last few days were getting ready for a potentially busy weekend.
“We are being told by farmers that they want to get their cherries picked on Saturday,” Leo said, “because it’s supposed to rain again on Sunday.”
Keremeos Councillor Arlene Arlow spoke to the regional district about posting “No camping” signs in the area, noting that campers continued to use the area even though it was officially no longer in use. There are no toilets or garbage facilities on or immediately available to the site.