(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)
December 14, 2018 - 5:00 PM
KELOWNA - Geotechnical studies are underway to try to find out how close a slide in Glen Canyon Regional Park might come to nearby homes.
“The upper extremity has reached a private property line,” Allen Fillion, West Kelowna’s General Manager of Engineering and Public Works, says. “The houses, from there, are still a good 30 metres back, so they’re not of immediate concern but, definitely, there’s potential for some damage to those people’s back yards.”
Two properties are of greatest concern since they are closer to the slide but notices have gone to 10 property owners on Webber Road.
The slide happened some time in October and was reported to the City of West Kelowna by B.C. Hydro. Since it was within the regional park, regional district staff were also notified and a trail was closed because of material sliding onto it.
Fillion said it doesn’t appear any dirt went into the creek but, since they don’t know exactly when the slide happened, he can’t say for sure.
The slope is still sliding but the movement has slowed down.
In October, when the city was notified, there was work being done on water lines along Webber Road above the canyon. Tests of the water pipes didn’t show any leaks and testing of the water downhill showed no signs of chlorine so it appears the slide was caused by natural causes, he said.
Still, because the construction work was nearby, the geotechnical engineers were told about it so they can consider if that had any impact.
Drilling rigs will be used to drill holes as the engineers try to determine what caused the slide and whether it might continue or could stabilize.
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