Feb. 27th, 2020
Subject: Sportsmen’s Bowl Flooding Disaster 2018
All the flooding in area C in the spring of 2018, has been corrected by large culverts other then Park Rill Creek in the Sportsmen’s Bowl area.
There has been 20 large box culverts funded by the province of BC, in the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen ( RDOS) area C,installed in 2019 in the Willowbrook area, which collects storm water to Park Rill Creek, and then flows through Sportsmen’s Bowl properties.
There has been 20 large box culverts funded by the province of BC, installed in 2019, in the RDOS area C, Road 5, Road 6, and Road 9. Why was the Sportsmen’s Bowl area ignored?
The most devastating flood was Park Rill Creek through the Sportsmen’s Bowl area, which was put into the State of Emergency and evacuated and is still under temporary water drainage.
The other areas that had the new culverts upgraded in 2019, are currently dry. Park Rill Creek in the Sportsmen’s Bowl Road, has never stopped flowing. The current water flow is presently above normal. BC River Forecast Centre has now predicted the snow is 148% above normal. The weather scientist has predicted a warm wet spring.
The residents of Sportsmen’s Bowl Road have three major concerns.
1) Are the three 22 inch culverts installed in 1953,under Highway 97, capable of taking the flood waters which are predicted for 2020 (as it failed in the flood of 2018)?
2) The waters flowing down Sportsmen’s Bowl Road to be put back in the original Park Rill Creek
3) The flood of 2018 caused a twenty to thirty foot vertical gully in Park Rill Creek between Secrest Hill Road and the South Okanagan Sportsmen’s Association access road. An increase of predicted water flow may cause this area to collapse, thus causing the waters to be dammed and another disaster.
We’ve been ignored for two years! No ministries have taken ownership. We are asking someone to acknowledge our requests. We feel we are the “forgotten area” from the flood of 2018. Will someone please take the time to acknowledge our concerns before spring freshet?
Waiting for a quick response,
Dennis Tomlin
Spokesperson for Sportsmen’s Bowl area