Barry Romanko, CAO for the Town of Osoyoos provided and update on the Town’s infrastructure. Currently, the Town’s sewer system is manageable however residents are asked to reduce sewer disposal from their residences by reducing amount of laundry, taking shorter showers, flush less, and above all do not pump water into the sewer system.

Brian Symonds from the International Joint Commission provided a power point presentation showing how the levels and flows of the Similkameen River affect Osoyoos Lake.

Zosel Dam in Oroville has been wide open since March 28 when the lake level was 910.5. When the flows of the Similkameen River increase it creates a backflow effect and it starts to back up into Osoyoos Lake. There is no controls able to stop this from happening. He estimates Osoyoos Lake could potentially rise to the 917 foot level or more before it peaks.

Shaun Reimer from Water Stewardship Branch at FLNRO, provided information regarding the flows from Okanagan River into Osoyoos Lake.

The water is being held back at Okanagan Lake to 40 cubic metres per second. The last control area is at Okanagan Falls. After that the river is being fed from tributaries between Okanagan Falls and Osoyoos which is causing the Okanagan River to run at 100 cubic metres per second at Oliver.