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Fruitvale, Trail keep close watch on creeks

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Beaver Creek is rising as a late freshet

Creekside Community Park in Fruitvale is closed due to water runoff.

Nothing is out of the ordinary for the village, where water about a foot deep has turned up at the community park, which has been shut down since last Thursday due to the soggy conditions.

Village resident Bert Ernst has lived in his home on Kootenay Avenue for 32 years and he said while the village experienced dry conditions for the past two years, water runoff “is pretty normal.”

Beaver Creek level is considered close to basic runoff at this time, according to village executive assistant Melissa Lyle.

“It is higher than last year since the snow pack is so much higher this year than last,” she said.

“The village has installed marking sticks that measure three feet and four feet and so on to provide a gauge for the levels.”

The measuring sticks have been set up at Marsh Creek and under the Columbia Gardens Road bridge, which are areas notorious for flooding.

“We are all monitoring it, and have reviewed and updated all emergency preparedness protocols and contacts as we do annually,” said Lyle.

Meanwhile, the City of Trail received a shipment of 4,000 sand bags from the province, said Public Works Manager Larry Abenante.

It will be added to the 4,000 bags already stockpiled in the city’s inventory.

“Everything is good but we’re still being cautious,” said Abenante, who also doubles as the city’s emergency coordinator.

“We’re keeping an eye on the creek channels for Gorge Creek and Trail Creek. We have an excavator on site at the Trail Creek.”

He added the creeks are flowing well through the channels with little of the debris that could create problems.