RDOS approves rainfall-monitoring pilot for Bald Range wildfire area
The pilot will monitor precipitation in priority burned watersheds in Electoral Area F and support severe-weather and recovery decisions.
PENTICTON — The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has approved funding for a post-wildfire rainfall-monitoring pilot in priority areas affected by the Bald Range wildfire in Electoral Area F.
RDOS said the system is intended to improve local rainfall monitoring in burned watersheds and allow officials to verify significant precipitation more quickly during severe weather. The information would be used to support emergency coordination, field inspections, public communications and ongoing recovery work.
The district announced the pilot Sept. 25, describing it as scalable and focused on priority parts of the Bald Range burn area. The announcement does not identify the proposed monitoring sites, the number or type of instruments that will be used, or the criteria used to select the priority areas.
The Sept. 25 announcement also does not say how frequently readings will be collected or how quickly significant rainfall could be verified once the system is operating. RDOS describes the monitoring as a way to improve awareness of rainfall conditions and support decisions during severe weather. It does not describe the pilot as a forecasting system for specific flood, debris-flow or landslide outcomes.
RDOS has continued to warn of hazards in areas affected by the wildfire. In a Sept. 24 update, the regional district said danger trees and slope-stability issues posed a life-safety risk along trails and backroads, while access restrictions remained in place for designated properties.
The following day, while a thunderstorm watch was in effect, RDOS reported washouts affecting Fish Lake Road in the Faulder area. The district did not attribute those washouts to a specific post-wildfire process or connect them directly to the rainfall-monitoring pilot.
The pilot is a new part of the recovery work following the Bald Range wildfire. Earlier recovery measures have included water-system work, debris-disposal planning, property access restrictions and assessments of damage in Electoral Area F and surrounding areas.
RDOS has confirmed that funding for the monitoring pilot was approved by its Board of Directors, but its Sept. 25 announcement does not give the funding amount or funding source. The announcement also does not say whether equipment has been installed or whether rainfall data are already being collected.
Stage 2 water restrictions remain in effect in Kimberley through Sept. 30, when the city says all current water restrictions will end.