Understandably, many people around Osoyoos are upset about the loss and destruction caused by the recent floods.

Some have suffered major property damage for which they may or may not be insured or compensated. Some have lost objects of sentimental value. Thankfully, we’re not aware of any directly related loss of life.

It’s a stressful time for many and it’s easy to understand that under stress, people’s nerves become frayed and it’s easy to lash out.

Nonetheless, it’s unfortunate that some people feel the need to cast blame on people – besides Mother Nature – who have been working hard to manage a very challenging situation, balancing competing needs in different parts of the valley.

Shaun Reimer, the B.C. official responsible for managing dams in the Okanagan, including at Penticton, is probably used to being the whipping boy when Mother Nature acts up.

Indeed, he recounts a story of receiving complaints from two people on the same day in the floods last year. One on Okanagan Lake complained that too much water was held back to protect people in Oliver. The second, from someone in Oliver, complained that too much water was being let out the dam in Penticton, impacting Oliver, for the benefit of those on Okanagan Lake. Sometimes you can’t win.

The idea that extra water should not have been released from Okanagan Lake in the winter doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

By creating extra capacity in Okanagan Lake in January, Reimer and his team were able to hold back water recently when we needed it most. That winter release did not push up the level of Osoyoos Lake, because at the time, outflows matched inflows and it was draining out the other end.

And while snowpacks were high this past winter, the seriousness of the floods was due to the snow’s early and rapid melt. The severity could not have been predicted.

The level of Osoyoos Lake is managed in Washington State under rules of the International Joint Commission. The gates of the Zosel Dam in Oroville have been wide open since late March when the lake was at 910.32 feet – well within the permitted winter range of 909 to 911.5 feet. There’s no blame there either.

Water coming down the Similkameen River has a far greater impact on Osoyoos Lake levels than water released at the dam in Penticton.

Instead of casting around for scapegoats, blaming those doing difficult jobs, let’s focus on positive lessons learned from this experience.