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Canada

Okanagan Lake flooding concerns on the rise

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Malcolm Uttley places sandbags along a small canal between Kalamalka Lake and Wood Lake at the Tween Lake Resort in Oyama B.C. just north of the City of Kelowna on Friday, May 12, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff Bassett

KELOWNA, B.C. -- The water level for B.C.'s Okanagan Lake has crept up another 1.7 centimetres since Sunday, adding to flooding concerns across the Central Okanagan Regional District.

Environment Canada reports Okanagan Lake has reached 343.08 metres, eight centimetres above historic flood levels dating back to 1948.

The regional district says in a news release that flood protection measures are being bolstered along Highway 97 south from West Kelowna to Peachland in an effort to protect the route which runs along the shore of the lake.

Sandbagging and other measures have also been stepped up along the banks of Mission Creek through downtown Kelowna.

The creek is at flood stage but there's concern it could climb even higher as several days of hot weather pushes more water from melting snowpacks into the creek.

Emergency crews are also installing log booms around the eastern end of the William Bennett Bridge, on the edge of Kelowna's downtown core, to reduce the threat of erosion around the bridge.