Barnhartvale Road reopens after flood waters recede

May 15, 2018 | 1:48 PM

KAMLOOPS — Good news for residents in Barnhartvale.

Receding flood waters in Campbell Creek has allowed the City of Kamloops to reopen the 7200-block of Barnhartvale Road near the Barnhartvale Hall.

“The city is working closely with the BC River Forecast Centre and Emergency Management BC to monitor snowpack levels, snow melt, and water levels in waterways,” says a city news release. “The city will continue to provide updates on water levels and flood preparation activities as necessary.”

Residents are still reminded to exercise caution near waterways and high, fast-moving water. That section of road had been closed since May 5.

“We did see some improvements at Campbell Creek over the course of the weekend and that’s given us the ability to re-open Barnhartvale Road at the culvert that had been flooded out the past week,” says the city’s utility services manager Greg Wightman. “Levels dropped about seven inches in the past couple days, and that’s a direct result of the mid-elevation snowpack being basically done now. The melt has occurred there.”

For now, the city is switching its focus to the Thompson Rivers, which have risen over the last few days and even higher flows are expected in the next week.

“The warm temperatures, those 33-plus degree days we’ve been having, are definitely showing in the 10-day forecast that we review every day,” says Wightman. “We’re looking at pretty steady rises over the next two to three days, and then potentially levelling out over the long weekend. Beyond that is where we’ll really have to start monitoring those forecasts and seeing where the levels are going to take us.”