By Greg Fry

Cache Creek mayor on flood risk: ‘We’ve done everything we can to prepare’

Apr 24, 2018 | 10:57 AM

CACHE CREEK — The Village of Cache Creek has worked hard to prepare for the threat of possible flooding this spring.

Mayor John Ranta says it started in January with a warning the village put out in its utility notice warning people to be prepared and has continued with a pair of sandbagging events this month.

He says the first took place “a week or so ago,” when more than 50 residents filled 4000 sandbags, and will continue with another sandbagging event scheduled for April 28.

“So, we’re optimistic that people are taking the warning seriously and doing what they can to protect their properties,” said Ranta.

He adds because the river runs right through town where many property owners have been impacted by flooding in the past,  some homeowners have already done “extensive work” including diking and pump installations.

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So, what did the village learn from last year’s catastrophic flooding event that claimed the life of former fire chief Clayton Cassidy?

“That it’s important to monitor the culverts to the best of your ability so there’s no debris accumulation,” he says.

“We had a study after the flooding that indicated that much of the debris that was surrounding the municipality had been washed down through the municipality through the rivers and streams and that we are in much better shape now than we were previously. But that’s little comfort if the water comes up. It’s something you just can’t stop.”

The issue of flooding in the area was raised with this week’s increasing temperatures. On Monday, the BC River Forecast Centre warned some tributaries up and down the Okanagan and the Central Interior including Cache Creek and the Cariboo could flare up with an accelerated melt and streamflow.