Intense rainstorms predicted for the Salmon Valley did not deliver as much rain as expected over the weekend, greatly reducing concerns about severe flooding of the Salmon River. 

Lower-than-forecasted temperatures also contributed to reducing snow melt at higher elevations in the Shuswap, which helped moderate water flows in creeks and streams. 

The Shuswap Emergency Program (SEP) is bringing in a specialized sandbagging machine to assist Salmon Valley residents with efforts to protect their properties.

The machine will be running at the Silver Creek Firehall with a crew starting in the morning on Saturday, May 30. Operation or the machine may continue on Sunday depending on the needs in the area.

The Shuswap Emergency Program (SEP) is advising all residents near the Salmon River and other smaller Shuswap-area creeks that there is an increasing risk of severe flooding in the coming days due to the potential for extreme weather. 

The Shuswap Emergency Program has sand and bags available for residents who may be at risk of flooding. 

Sand and bags are being made available to the public at 20 locations in the Shuswap area. Please see the map below for specific locations, details or any restrictions on availability.

The Shuswap Emergency Program is advising all residents in low-lying areas of the Salmon River to take measures to protect their property from rising water. 

Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, technical planning for the new rail trail between Sicamous and Armstrong has moved ahead over the past two months. 

Sunny days are seeing more people heading outside on local trails as a recreational option during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But the Sicamous-to-Armstrong Rail Trail is not one of the trails that is currently open for use.