Kelowna city hall says areas along the city’s waterfront are now starting to reopen following the recent flooding and the record high level of Okanagan Lake.
As the lakes level continues to recede, more local boat launches and beaches will re-open in time for this weekend including:
Boat launches:
Boaters can now use any of the boat launches in Kelowna as the Sutherland Bay boat launch located at 700 Ellis Street has reopened. In addition, both lanes are now open at the Water Street boat launch located at 1354 Water Street.
Residents and visitors planning on boating on area lakes are reminded to follow the guidelines for respectful boating as lake levels, while coming down, still remain higher than normal. Boaters can view boating wake maps at cordemergency.ca/map, which indicate no and low wake boating areas in order to protect against wave action and shoreline erosion.
Beaches:
The removal of flood protection measures from beaches along Kelowna’s waterfront is ongoing. Flood protection measures at the following waterfront parks were removed earlier this week:
• Hot Sands Beach at City Park (1600 Abbott Street)
• Strathcona Beach Park (2290 Abbott Street)
• Kinsmen Park (2600 Abbott Street)
• Rotary Beach Park (3726 Lakeshore Road)
These locations may still have some debris remaining on the beaches following the removal of bladder dams and gabions, and cleanup efforts will continue over the coming weeks.
These beaches are in addition to locations which have already reopened or were able to stay open during high lake levels including Tugboat Beach at Waterfront Park, Boyce-Gyro Beach Park, Sarsons Beach Park, Cedar Creek Park and Paul’s Tomb and Lochview Trail.
For more information on parks, beaches and boat launches, visit kelowna.ca/parks.
For more information, visit kelowna.ca.