Ashton Creek residents are demanding action to ensure devastating floods can be avoided.
Residents met with regional director Jackie Pearase, MLA Greg Kyllo and MP Colin Mayes Saturday to outline conditions along Ashton Creek.
“The culvert has five feet of gravel in it and its capacity is compromised,” said Greg Robinson, who helped organize the meeting.
“The creek needs to be dredged and there is a lot of debris up high waiting to come down. If there is high water next year, there will be flooding.”
Ashton Creek overflowed its banks in June 2012, damaging property and forcing residents out of their homes.
“Something has to be done,” said Robinson.
“We will have an emergency because the banks are being washed away.”
Flood measures are not part of the Regional District of North Okanagan’s mandate, but Pearase is investigating possibly funding an engineering study to place pressure on the provincial government to take action.
“We need to demonstrate that it’s an issue and preventative work is more important than emergency work,” she said.
“I would like the province to step up and do some preventative measures on Ashton Creek.”
Pearase isn’t sure when she may determine if there will be a study and even if there is, she points out that senior government would have to be funding partners.
“I totally understand that people want something done but it’s a question of who takes responsibility?” she said.
