Province finds funding for McDougall Creek near Kelowna
By Contributor
The Province has committed to work with the District of West Kelowna to find permanent solutions for flood mitigation on McDougall Creek to help protect homeowners and road access, and also to help prevent the localized flood threat from extending upstream.
The district has submitted an application through the Flood Protection Program (FPP) for flood-mitigation works worth $510,000. The provincial portion of the project will be up to two-thirds of the cost ($340,000), and funding is contingent on the district committing to pay for one-third of total mitigation works.
McDougall Creek is an area with high-hazard flood potential that has experienced several recent adverse flooding events. These events have impacted residents and the local government and resulted in private property losses and increased emergency management costs for the Province. Specifically, since 2012, the Province has allocated more than $106,000 for recovery funding for families and the district.
McDougall Creek is fish-bearing, so the appropriate permits are required to do in-stream works. The primary flood risk for the 2013 freshet has now passed, and work in McDougall Creek will likely need to take place in the fall due to the fisheries window, which is when water levels are typically at their lowest.
