Houses in East Osoyoos were surrounded by water during the flood of 1948. This is the view from Lethebe Corner looking west towards the village. (Osoyoos and District Museum and Archives)

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

The level of Osoyoos Lake on Saturday was among the highest on record, but it still fell short of several other flood years.

Within the past 50 years, the worst flood was recorded in 1972 when the water reached 917.06 feet above sea level on June 3, 1972.

That’s about seven inches higher than this year’s highest level so far of 916.45 feet reached at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 12.

Even the flood of 1972 wasn’t the all-time record, though historic data must be treated cautiously because instrumentation wasn’t as accurate as today and measurements taken in different locations produced different results.

The Osoyoos Times of June 8, 1972 notes that Department of Highways measurements at the bridge were two feet lower than the official flood control gauge further south.

“Changes made in sea level calculations over the years have resulted in this,” said a report in the Osoyoos Times. “Therefore, using the same calculations, Lake Osoyoos (sic) high of 1972 is 917.2 as compared to 916.7 in 1948.”

A government report after the 1972 flood gives the lake level on May 31, 1948 as 916.74 feet, slightly higher than this year’s peak so far.

Incredibly, the highest recorded level was 918.8 feet in 1894, though again, such old data must be considered cautiously.

An Osoyoos Times report on the 1948 flood points to the difficulty keeping the older bridge from being destroyed and thereby keeping Highway 3 open.

“Men gave of their time to aid in the struggle against the rising waters,” said the June 8, 1948 Osoyoos Times. “These efforts were not futile. Sandbags quickly rushed to the scene undoubtedly saved the bridge. The only travel communication out of the valley was kept open.”

A report on the 1972 flood tells of submerged campgrounds and flooded motels as well as the efforts to protect property with sandbagging.

About 6,000 sandbags were used.

“These helped save many buildings from very serious damage,” said the report in the June 8, 1972 Osoyoos Times. “Motels and homes in some instances were sandbagged to a level of almost three feet and succeeded in keeping out the water.”

This year wasn’t the first time high school students have helped with sandbagging.

“Grade 9 and 10 students of the Osoyoos School were pressed into volunteer service to fill sandbags,” the 1972 report said. “The young students worked extremely hard and proved to be a big help in the crisis.”

Water and sewer systems in the Village of Osoyoos reached critical stages and “had to be cut off from Van Acres and Goodman subdivision, but the rest of the system has been kept going in spite of the excessive load.”

The Van Acres Campsite of 126 spaces was totally under water. The hardest hit motel was the View Point, which had just been renovated. Ten of its units were inundated under about two and a half feet of water, the Osoyoos Times said.

Other motels on the strip and elsewhere also suffered water damage to floors and walls.

“Many of the campsites in east Osoyoos were under water and the cleaning operation will be costly,” the report said.

The Department of Highways worked to keep roads open by building them higher.

“The road on Haynes Point was narrowly saved from being washed away,” the Osoyoos Times story said.

Do you remember the flood of 1972? Or perhaps the flood of 1948?

To share your memories of these or any other Osoyoos history from this column, please comment on OsoyoosTimes.com or contact Editor Richard McGuire by email at [email protected] or by phone at 250-495-7225.

The waters of Osoyoos Lake rose to flood the entire Osoyoos Community Hall, as well as the beach in the foreground, during the flood of 1972. (Osoyoos and District Museum and Archives, originally from an unknown Penticton Herald photographer and the Penticton Museum.)

Bob Vincent, 14, and Harvey Fairfield, 15, float a rubber air mattress during salvage operations in the 1972 flood in Osoyoos. (Osoyoos and District Museum and Archives, originally from an unknown Penticton Herald photographer and Penticton Archives)

A flooded auto court with the Viewpoint Motel in the background in Osoyoos during the 1972 flood. (Osoyoos and District Museum and Archives, originally from an unknown Penticton Herald photographer and Penticton Archives)

A car drives on a flooded road on the east side of Osoyoos Lake in the 1948 floods. (Osoyoos and District Museum and Archives)