Sunken and at-risk boats successfully removed from lake

February 13, 2024

Public Service Announcement

Recovery and removal of several boats from Okanagan Lake which were damaged by extreme weather conditions in mid-January has been completed.

“In an effort to prevent environmental impacts to the lake and risks to the community, six sunken boats were recovered from Manhattan Point, several at-risk boats nearby were moved to a safe storage area, and several others were removed by their owners,” said Alan Budde, Security and Business Continuity Manager. “Debris and non-compliant moorage buoys were also taken away.”

The City provided updates to the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada about the clean-up operation and contracted Shoreline Pile Driving to remove sunken and at-risk boats. 

Several of the vessels pulled from the lake were illegally moored. The City is working to strengthen bylaws to prevent further deployment of illegal buoys and increase enforcement against buoys being operated without a valid business license or permit.

The public can re-claim their boats with proof of ownership and payment of recovery costs by contacting the Property Management office at PropertyManagement@kelowna.ca or 250-469-8610. Any unclaimed boats will be subject to disposal after 60 days or by April 10.