Arrow Lake Derby
Dave & I
host a Spring Fish Derby at Shelter Bay every year and we were wondering if you
could post some info on your Not for Profit Section.
Dates
– May 26th & 27th
Place –
Shelter Bay Campsite
Fee -
$50.00 per Boat (all proceeds go back to Derby Winners)
Winners – 1st, 2nd & 3rd
Place in both the Rainbow & Dolly categories and a separate award for the Daily
Largest Fish.
Entry Place
– Rough Country Marine
Thanks
Deenie
Chantilly
Kitchen Bed n Bath
PO Box 1590
Revelstoke,
BC V0E 2S0
Ph
250-837-7005
Fax
250-837-6610
Mabel Lake Fishing Derby
Here's some info from Jim Summerfelt concerning
the upcoming derby on Mabel Lake:
Just a short note to explain our
derby. Lumby & District Wildlife Association holds the derby each year,
generally in early May. My wife, Gail Summerfelt, is the main Coordinator.
Since she took it over approx. 10 years ago, she has developed it into a
very family type derby. Last year we had 270 entries, about a third of these
were kids. All prizes are from the generous donations of different
businesses from all over the Okanagan......last year we had approx 15,000
dollars in prizes. In the adult category there is a first overall for the
largest fish, then there are approx. 10 additional prizes for rainbows and
another 10 for lakers. Kids catagory usually goes to about 30th place
depending on the donations. This year the derby is May 4,5,and 6th and it is
held at the south end of Mabel at the Provincial Park. If you need any
further information give Gail a call at 250-547-6939 or her cell at
250-308-6866. Thanks, Jim Summerfelt (husband of the coordinator)
Thanks for the info Jim..
OK Centre Boat Launch Information
12-01-13
Meeting Results from Dave Ulvaan
Hi Sherm ,
The meeting was not as '' spirited " as I expected due to Mayor Baker has
chaired many a meeting and kept a lid on proceedings. Lots of speakers
,including Ron Taylor assured the panel that the Kokanee don't spawn in the
safe harbour and I think they all knew that anyway. There was lots of dialog
regarding the fact that the South breakwater has to be replaced and that it
more than likely will be , one way or another . Mr. Baker also mentioned the
video I sent in has been distributed to the various Ministries.
Regarding the North breakwater , the powers that be have been made aware
that it cannot be removed. To that they agreed that the best way to handle
it is to simply get in there and replace the rotted timbers , like they
should have done on the Southside.
I'm glad I attended. I would guess there were about 50 to 60 people in all
and the best part was not one person in attendance or on the panel was pro
the project. One of my questions was why was the work done and then a public
meeting held instead of the other way around. The response was , our
intentions were to rebuild it the same as it was but regulations kept us
from doing so. Our reply to that was , there is more regard given to fish
than there is to human life. One speaker even noted that fisheries had
issued a press release recently stating the Kokanee population is at a
healthy level , not seen since the 50s !
All and all it was a good meeting and everyone is on the same page. It's
wrong the way it is and the south breakwater needs to be reinstalled and
some suggested that another ramp be installed on the North side of the new
dock.
Dave
Thanks Dave, appreciate the effort you've put
into all of this and the feedback.......Sherm
Big Meeting Regarding the OK Centre
Boat Launch!!
Good afternoon Here’s an update
regarding work on the courtesy boat launch dock and the viewing platform at
the Okanagan Centre Safe Harbour Regional Park. The viewing platform
has been completed and inspected and will be open for use next week once the
fence restricting access is removed.
The
courtesy dock on the north side of the boat launch has been lowered to the
amended approved height and we expect the final section (approximately 10
feet) of decking will be finished by Friday, January 13th.
At that time we also expect wood ladders will be installed down to the water
from the deck on the end 10 foot section of the courtesy dock.
On behalf of
the District of Lake Country, we have attached a news release regarding a
public forum it is hosting on Friday, January 13th
at the Okanagan Centre Community Hall from 7-9pm on the work at the regional
park.
OK Centre Boat Launch
Closure: (photo)
December 19 2011
Over the past couple of weeks Dave and I have received various correspondence
from different agencies regarding the status of the OK Centre Boat Launch.
The letter I received back was from Bruce Smith at CORD and in all honesty
there's no point in even posting it. It says nothing that indicates the
launch will be put back to the way it was, and what we have is the best we'll
get.
Dave has sent and received emails from Mayor Baker of Lake Country and his reply
also dosen't give much hope as to any changes being made. Kokanee spawning
seems to be the biggest hurdle in all of this and those in power that look after
these fish stocks just don't seem to get it. Dave even sent in a great
video of how crappy this new launch is working out, it is attached along with
Dave's emails and that from Mayor Baker:
Attn: Mayor Baker ,
I have just finished reading a report on the ongoing " destruction " of our
Safe Harbour and contained within was the quote " the Regional Board
required that no further work would be done to the North breakwater area ,
pending further consultation with the District of Lake Country." end quote.
That implies the District of Lake Country had consultation with CORD prior
to the removal of the South breakwater. Correct ? If so, that decision is
unacceptable ! A South breakwater is absolutely necessary. Also mentioned in
the report , quote " current standards do not allow in-water batter boards
in areas of fish habitat." end quote. Here are some simple suggestions to
keep the pressure treated lumber from coming in contact with the water....
Don't use pressure treated lumber. Instead, use timbers similar the ones
they used 50 years ago . OR Construct the breakwater of steel. Steel has
been used in many breakwaters throughout the province. OR rock. Fill rock
between the pylons of the new viewing platform.
I wanted to launch my boat and go fishing today but as you can see from the
attached video , the very unsafe conditions , due to the removal of the
South breakwater , kept me from entering and risking my life and the
destruction of my boat . I am not one who would consider suing my own
Government , but there are a lot of people from out of Province with
different attitudes and resources that would , after their $300,000 pleasure
boat is demolished.
Thank you for your concerns to this very important issue.
Regards Dave Ulvaan
And the Mayor's reply back:
Hello Dave,
Thank you for your letter and excellent video. I have seen the same
conditions myself at the safe harbour since work started on the south side.
The Regional Board did approve work to repair the south side and construct a
courtesy dock within. There was a limited window to do the work and RD Parks
worked with Provincial fish and environment staff to try to have the work
done in the proscribed time but discovered the large lake protocol did not
permit batter boards nor a floating courtesy dock. The area is rendered
useless as a boat launch if it does not have the safe harbour component. RD
Parks is meeting with fish biologists and environmental staff in order to
convince them of the other values to be considered with the upgrade of this
essential structure in our part of Okanagan Lake.
Again, thank you for your letter and video, they will be put to good use in
our discussions with the Province.
Regards, James
James Baker
Mayor
District of Lake Country
Keep up the great work Dave, I can only hope
that other anglers and even residents in the area are also on the
letter/email bandwagon to get this mess changed!
December 3 2011
Here is the latest email that Dave received from CORD, it would appear there are
"some" people that have comprehension issues!:
Subject: RDCO Update - Okanagan Centre Safe
Harbour Regional Park
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2011 09:00:59 -0800
From: bruce.smith@cord.bc.ca
Good morning
We are sending you this update as we await
information from our construction contractor on its schedule to resume work
on the courtesy dock and viewing platform structures at the Okanagan Centre
Safe Harbour Regional Park.
The courtesy dock construction has been on hold as
the Regional District spent much time and effort to work with the Ministry
of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, to amend the initial
construction proposals that had received Ministry approval in late summer.
That initial approval was based on the structures being designed and built
at a level half a meter above the average high water mark of Okanagan Lake
in order to ensure protection of the shore spawning fish in what the
Ministry has identified as a ‘red’ zone.* The Ministry’s main mandate is to
protect the fisheries habitat.
Basically, once construction was underway it was
clear that the courtesy dock located to the north of the main boat launch
was too high above the water to assist those launching or loading their
vessels.
Last month with a report provided by Ecoscape
Environmental Consultants, the Regional District submitted another
application for Ministry consideration that would see the height of the dock
lowered. We learned on Friday the 25th that the Ministry has
reviewed our application to change the previously approved design criteria
for the courtesy dock structure and has now approved the dock installation
with a top of the steel piling elevation of 342.6-metres above sea level, a
reduction of approximately 45-centimetres (1½ feet). Basically, we are now
able to proceed by lowering the courtesy dock, dropping it about a foot and
a half from its current height. In May, June and July, when the lake is
usually at or above full pool, the dock should be much more functional for
boaters using the main launch. As the level of the lake drops in subsequent
months, and especially during the fall shore spawning fish season, the dock
will be higher than the normal level of the lake. We also plan to install
some vertical boat bumpers and two wooden ladders along the last 12 feet of
the courtesy dock to further assist those using the main boat launch.
With Ministry approval for the new courtesy dock
height, we anticipate our contractor will be able to resume construction.
The contractor has been able to work around ongoing use of the launch
without having any full time closure of the harbour. We trust this
arrangement will continue, although fewer boaters are using the facility as
we approach the winter months.
We wish to remind everyone that in June, the
Regional Board approved the plan to remove the south breakwater structure
because it was badly deteriorating, basically rotting and falling apart and
it was impossible to repair or salvage it. In addition, as outlined in our
approved application by the Ministry, current standards do not allow
in-water batter boards in areas of fish habitat. (*see design criteria
below).
Also at its June 26th meeting, the
Regional Board required that no further work would be done to the north
breakwater area, pending further consultation with the District of Lake
Country.
We trust this information provides some
understanding of the challenges that the Regional District has faced in
trying to provide improvements to the Regional Park and boat launch
facility. We can assure you that we are continuing to consult with the
District of Lake Country on future design and operational management options
and capital financing requirements affecting the role that this facility
will play.
* Requirements for design by Ministry as outlined in
approval August 29, 2011
Bruce Smith
Communications & Intergovernmental Affairs
Coordinator
Regional District of Central Okanagan
1450 KLO Road
Kelowna, BC
V1W 3Z4
Phone: 250-469-6339
Fax: 250-763-0606
Email:
bsmith@cord.bc.ca
Website:
www.regionaldistrict.com
Your right Dave, they really don't get it!
Nothing will be done with the "safe" aspect of the launch until someone does
get hurt.....
November 23 2011
After having the derby on OK Lk and actually seeing
the boat launch first hand I now see what Dave was talking about, its a
disaster! Everyone that used it
complained about it,
it's no longer a "safe harbour" as it was supposed to be, its more like a "use
at your own risk" harbour now. Dave has done up another letter and I would
encourage all of you to do the same, this mess has to be changed. Here's
Dave's letter to the editor:
Dear Editor, I have expressed my concerns to the manager of C.O.R.D.
regarding the changes being made to the Okanagan Centre Safe Harbour boat
launch and to date have fallen on deaf ears. The main concern is the fact
that the South breakwater has been completely removed. As our prevailing
winds are from the South this was a vital over site. The other issue is the
courtesy dock that is currently being built. It is , without a doubt , in
the wrong location as well as it’s too high out of the water to be used
,with the exception of approximately one month in the spring when the lake
is at full pool. To rectify this major issue the dock must be removed all
together or if C.O.R.D. is adamant about spending tax dollars then the dock
should be moved to the South side of the ramp which will help to keep boats
off the rocks. Where the dock is now it is totally unacceptable. I have
voiced my concerns to the workers from Burton Marine, who are doing the
construction and they are very aware the the dock is all wrong but
apparently no one at C.O.R.D. pays attention to them either. I was
involved in a fishing derby lately and from the twenty or more fishers using
this launch, there were no positive comments. As a matter of fact some guys
lunched in Kelowna and even Vernon because of the unsafe conditions here. Us
fishers , who use this year round, need changes made so we can utilize this
facility. Keep in mine fishing adds millions of dollars to the economy
annually. In conclusion , it is my opinion that it is not too late to
rectify these issues and return this facility back to what it was...... The
best launch in the Okanagan ! Thank you for giving me this space
to voice my concerns.
Regards Dave Ulvaan
Good letter Dave, we can only hope that the rest of the angler fraternity
does something similar.....Sherm
Hi Sherm , the safe harbor is temporarily open again. I read on line it will
most likely close again Oct. 11 until Oct.21 in order to finish the docks. On a
personal note ; I think they have ruined the whole set-up. The new ramp is not
as steep , meaning you need to back farther into the water , thus getting the
feet wet in the process. Which in the summer is no biggy , but in the winter it
sucks. The other bigger issue is the south break water has been removed . Our
prevailing wind is from the south . This is no longer a safe harbor. The
so called courtesy dock , for me , is a hindrance because I pulled my boat up
to shore and the get out and push the boat back to the end of the trailer. Now
the only way that can work is to install another ramp on the other side.
I have written to the manager ,Mr. Bruce Smith, and will let you know if I get a
response.
Sheldon, thank you for allowing me to vent. I do feel better. I need to remember
the old saying " You can please some of the people some of the time, but you
can't please all the people all the time" Regards , Dave
And, further to Dave's "rant", here is the email he sent and the reply he got
back:
Subject: RE: safe harbour
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:39:41 -0700
From: bruce.smith@cord.bc.ca
To: daveulvaan@hotmail.com
Dear Mr. Ulvaan
Thank you for your email sent via the Regional District website with your
thoughts about the current construction at Okanagan Centre Safe Harbour
Regional Park.
It’s correct that the old untreated wood infrastructure of the south
breakwater has been removed because it was badly deteriorating and could not
be salvaged. The current best management environmental practices of the
senior governments for in-water structures to protect fish habitat do not
allow wood slats such as was permitted when the old south breakwater was
installed. That is why the replacement viewing platform/pier is being
constructed as it appears. The former rock breakwater on the south side is
being left in place to provide some protection and shelter.
The courtesy dock to the north side of the boat launch is designed in
keeping with other similar structures that are available at other boat
launches throughout the area, such as in Peachland, to assist those
launching and loading their vessels. The Regional District is working with
our project contractor, experienced in proper dock structures (Burton
Marine) to ensure that the appropriate support options are available from
the new courtesy dock for those recreational boaters when using the
facility.
The new boat launch pad that was installed earlier this year is actually two
feet wider and 10 feet longer than the previous concrete ramp, in order to
provide more opportunity for using the facility when Okanagan Lake water
levels are lower as they have been in recent years.
Again, thank you for sharing your concerns and we hope this information
we’ve provided is useful for you.
Sincerely,
Bruce Smith
Communications & Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator
Regional District of Central Okanagan
1450 KLO Road
Kelowna, BC
V1W 3Z4
Phone: 250-469-6339
Fax: 250-763-0606
Email:
bsmith@cord.bc.ca
Website:
www.regionaldistrict.com
Attn.; Bruce Smith , I was just down at the
not so
safe harbour . The reason it is not safe anymore is the fact the
south breakwater has been removed and our prevailing winds are
from the south. This is unacceptable as this is to be referred
to as safe harbour ! ! The other issue is the so called courtesy
dock. It is a hindrance . Us users always pull our boats up on
shore there and then push the boat back to the end of the
trailer. Now it is impossible. The only way this can possibly be
rectified is to install another ramp on the other side of the
dock.Is this in the budget ? The other issue is the steepness is
gone from the new ramp , now in the winter we have to get wet in
order to launch.
You
really needed to consult us users before making
changes that have quite frankly ruined a good harbour. I have
been using that launch since 1967 and now it is useless .
I know you can’t please all the people all the time , so I hope
somebody will find the changes to their liking.