Work is progressing and expected to be completed mid-October on a $2.4 million project to replace an outlet pipe at Isintok Dam.
Isintok Lake has been drained, the concrete poured on Sept. 21 and crews are currently preparing to install the outlet pipe.
Graham Statt, chief administrative officer for Summerland, said the outlet pipe has reached the end of its service life and has been leaking through the dam structure.
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The lake, west of Summerland, is one of several reservoir lakes supplying water to the community. It is also one of two sites where snow pack measurements are taken throughout the winter and spring.
To prepare for the work, municipal crews began dropping down the lake level beginning in summer. To do this, water from Isintok Lake rather than other Summerland reservoir lakes was used for irrigation. Fish were salvaged from the lake at this time.
Thirsk Lake and upper reservoirs were kept full for use during the construction work.
Isintok Lake has a full pool capacity of 1,380 million litres, said Shawn Hughes, the chief operator of water distribution for the municipality of Summerland. The dam was constructed in the 1930s. Summerland’s total water capacity is 14,348 million litres and Thirsk Lake, one of the community’s reservoir lakes, has the capacity of 6,474 million litres. During the peak of the irrigation season, the community uses 140 million litres a day.
Municipal staff and council will also consider the feasibility of raising the height of the dam by three metres. This would more than double the capacity of the lake to around 2,800 million litres.
Of the total $2.4 million cost of the project, more than $1.8 million came from grant funding.
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Shawn Hughes, chief operator of water distribution for the municipality of Summerland, at left; Devon van der Meulen, manager of water utilities; Graham Statt, chief administrative officer and Jeremy Storvold, director of utilities inspect the site at Isintok Lake. A new outflow pipe is being installed at the dam at the reservoir lake. (John Arendt - Summerland Review)
