HISTORY: Community Topics | FLOODS AND FIRES

FLOODS

Historically Mission Creek has often flooded in the spring. It frequently changed its course leaving stony islands and wonderful swimming holes. It steals from some people’s property and adds to others. The last significant flood was in 1997 when Muttits’, Millers’, Marcia Aitkens’, and the Morrises’ properties were all threatened. Some dikes were built then and have been further developed. The community rallied to the aid of those whose homes were threatened. Sand bag crews helped and no major damage was sustained.

In 1929, Dr. Shepherd’s cabin on Mission Creek, on what later became Marcia Aitkens’ property, was washed down Mission Creek in a flood. It was later rebuilt.

In 1996, Belgo Creek was blocked by a flow of ice between Birchs’ and Lindahls’ properties. Water backed up to flood under, but not into the cabin on the creek below Birchs’ house. The Regional District administration was notified and looked it over. Hanu Saura was hired with his backhoe to reach out from the creek bank and free the ice jam with the bucket. It let go with a gush of water which surged down Belgo Creek into Mission Creek and washed out the large bridge which crossed Mission Creek on the Serwa property.

FIRES

Most of us live surrounded by trees in Joe Rich. Perhaps of all the features of Joe Rich, it is this which makes it so beautiful. However, in a dry climate, living amongst trees is a calculated risk. Though we can take a few steps to reduce this risk, we can never eliminate it.

There are layers of ashes in the soil of some areas in Joe Rich and a few very old trees with fire scars that suggest that a major fire has gone through the valley in the last 150 years. Jim Weddell says that in 1925 a fire burned on the north side of the valley, but did not touch the valley floor. In 1928, the year Jim was born, a fire came from the south and reached the top of the hills on the south side of Joe Rich Valley, but again did not come down into the valley.

In the summer of 2003, a major fire started in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park and fanned by high winds burned through tinder dry country to destroy many homes in the Mission area of South Kelowna. It then burned east to destroy the trestles of the old Kettle Valley Railroad Line and to threaten Joe Rich. At its closest point it came to within about 12 kilometres of Joe Rich, and on two occasions during the summer forced the residents of Joe Rich to be evacuated. During the evacuation, Joe Rich had a 10 to 15% non-compliance rate, higher than most other affected areas. Many people such as the Weddells took all the measures they could and then decided to stay behind to look after their property and livestock.