Springtime Water Levels ~ Kamloops Lake ~ Thompson River

Water, water everywhere!  The annual high water in the area seems to have reached its seasonal high and we can only hope that there will be no more damage done.  We dealt with the flood of ’72 when our new home was flooded along with the rest of the Oak Hills subdivision so we know well the difficulties that can come from that.  

Beautiful Kamloops Lake

Today we are looking at high waters but enjoying the views.  Kamloops Lake, which is 1.6 km wide, 29 km long and 152 m deep, has reached the high water levels but will hopefully soon recede.  These measurements would vary, depending on the time of year but we get an idea of size from these.

Debris floats down lake

Over 60% of the fluctuation of the lake occurs during the spring months of May and June.  The lake levels rise as much as 9 m (30 ft) during this time.  This is when you can see debris being carried down the river in mass amounts.  Most of which are trees, twigs and branches from the shoreline but many other things have been seen over the years. 

Scenic Kamloops Lake

The South Thompson which flows from the Shuswap Lake and the North Thompson Rivers meet in Kamloops then widen out to be Kamloops Lake until it narrows down into the Thompson River again as it leaves Savona, about 50 km west of Kamloops.  It has limited accessibility along most of the shoreline but there are boat launches available for those who like to enjoy boating on this lovely lake.

Savona Park

The public park at Savona is covered in water but it hasn’t prevented some from enjoying the sunshine on this late day in May.  Some were seen at the park, on the wharf and boating.  It isn’t safe boating in water with this much debris as many pieces cannot be seen so boat with caution anytime but especially now.

Debris gathers along shoreline

Savona gets the debris as it gathers in the small alcoves and the shoreline when the water recedes.  I am sure some of what we saw were accumulated over several seasons but it is amazing the amount that flows down the lake.

No marmots to be seen

McArthur Park has no damage seen by the high waters other than there being no little marmots out looking for treats.  Their homes are hollows in the riverbanks so have been filled with water causing them to move on, but they seem to come back every year.  

MacPark Slough

The Slough fills up high, making it much prettier than with low summer waters but again, it disrupts the local lives of geese and ducks who make their homes in these waters.  A deer and her fawn were at home just below this spot last summer when we visited.  They couldn’t be doing that now.

Momma Duck and her ducklings

As we were driving out of the park, this Momma Duck and her babies were crossing the road so we stopped to watch the parade.  All went well until they got to the curb and the little ones just could not jump up that high. We watched for a few minutes yet Momma was just standing there waiting, no attempt to help.

Wonderful helper

A kind lady went over and gently helped those little ones up over the curb while Momma just stood and watched, without making any squawks or sounds of objection!  Within moments they were all together again and on their way.

Happy family continues

What a nice way to end our sightseeing day.

Canada Geese ~ McArthur Park ~ Kamloops, BC

We were driving through McArthur Park on a cold but sunny winter day when I spotted a flock of Canada Geese all having their afternoon rest in the waning sunshine.  We drove past so as not to disturb them then pulled over so I could get photos of the resting flock.

Canada Geese enjoying the sunshine

I quietly stepped down the grassy slope to begin taking photos when a few of them jumped up and started walking but what surprised me was that they were coming over my way.

They think I have food!

It wasn’t long and there were several following and before I knew it, they were all on their way.   I am quietly telling them I have no goodies for them but that didn’t seem to matter, they kept coming.

Getting closer

I stayed in place and they came within just a few feet of me as I continued talking to them.  They were pretty curious but at least they didn’t come right up to me, I would have been backing away if that had happened but they showed no aggression, so I stood my ground.

Settled in to find food in grass

They arrived, checked me out then all sat down, picking at the grass, I suspect, hoping they were going to find that I really did bring something for them to eat!  I admit that I did feel badly that they were looking for food and I had none, but I don’t think feeding them is the right thing to do although it appears other must, for them to come running as they did.

No food but more resting

The Canada Geese was near extinction in the 1950’s but there was a small flock discovered in Minnesota in 1962.  From this flock, a good production and restoration program began and by the end of 1981, more than 6,000 had been released at 83 sites in North Dakota.    The population in 2000 was said to be between 4 and 5 million in North America.

Canada Geese on McArthur Park Soccer Fields

The growing population of Canada Geese does create some problems for us, especially that they don’t all migrate further south anymore.  Some do but we seem to have plenty at all our parks and golf courses over the winter time as well as during the warmer seasons.

Thompson River at sunset

They were once protected from being hunted but the laws changed in June 2011 and that is no longer the case so that it is legal to hunt the Canada Geese, within hunting regulations, of course.  I am not an advocate of hunting and shooting any birds or animals but can understand the growing population is causing a serious problem in many places.  Culling is done in parts of the United States.

Ice flows in the Thompson River

The sun had slid down behind the hills but gave some final reflections on the river as the ice chunks flowed by.  So although I would rather all those Canada Geese were not leaving their mess in our park, I sure can understand why they would stay.  Winter or not, we offer such a beautiful location, how could they say ‘no’?

We love Kamloops, there is just no place like home!

Autumn Days ~ MacArthur Island Park ~ Kamloops, BC

Autumn or ‘Fall’ as we often call it usually conjures up visions of colored leaves in reds, oranges and yellows.  We see the leaves are falling from the trees, the days are shorter and the sun shines less frequently.  We are having shorter days of daylight and this is the transition season that takes us into winter, or did I miss a whole season?

October snow on Mt. Paul in Kamloops, BC

We had some early snowfall and with the cold snap we were experiencing, it began to feel we were going to miss the fall season.  We woke up one morning in mid October to see snow on Mt. Paul and in many neighborhoods in the higher levels.  Brrrrrrr….. it is too soon for this and thankfully does not last for long.

Thompson River and Rabbit Island, Kamloops, BC

I stopped on the Summit Extension corner to see the colors of the trees on Rabbit Island, which sits across from McArthur Park on the Thompson River, and the North Shore from this vantage point.  The clouds were low but breaking up to give us some blue sky and a possible break in the weather.  Those autumn colors always show better when the sun shines and we are going to have a fall season.

The Slough reflects colors of McArthur Island

I’d been hoping for another chance to see how pretty autumn is in our city of Kamloops and that happened just Sunday afternoon when the sun came through the clouds and warmed up the day so off to McArthur Island Park we went.

More colors on McArthur Island in Kamloops, BC

The days that the leaves are still on the trees and the sun shines is a great time to get out there and enjoy what may be the last days of autumn so it was a perfect day for a walk through McArthur Island Park.  I passed several others who were out there doing the same.

Assorted views of McArthur Island on a Fall day

We do live in a semi-arid part of the province and are not going to get all the colors of autumn that other climates get but with parks and plantings we get to see some of them, we just need to look in the right places. 

The view from the footbridge over the Thompson River Slough

The slough is the canal that wraps around McArthur Island Park, creating the island that has been developed into this beautiful park over the years. There is a path that follows around the outer edges of the island following the river and the slough and there is a bridge over the slough that leads to the park from a residential area on the North Shore.

This mallard swims away from the large flock of ducks

The slough is the home of several kinds of water fowl and the occasional beaver, so I’m told and there are usually some ducks nearby to catch any food scraps that passersby may throw into the water for them.  

The geese swim on the Thompson River

The river level is very low by this time of year with only enough water for the gulls, ducks and Canada Geese also lining the shores, to enjoy.  The river is quiet and calm when the levels are this low during the fall season much unlike the summertime with all the boats that like to cruise our great rivers.

Canada Geese wander the soccer fields of McArthur Park

The Canada Geese are here for awhile yet before they begin their travels south for the winter.  I’ve seen them here during the winter months in recent years and was surprised they didn’t migrate but perhaps that is dependent on how cold the winter gets, they may have some ‘inside’ information that we humans are not privy to! (:   Note the snowfree Mt. Paul in the distance.

Views of Kamloops and the Thompson River from McArthur Island Park

As my walk around the park comes to an end I enjoy the view of the city and the sandy beaches of tree covered Rabbit Island, I am pretty happy with the way the weather has turned out today.  This was a beautiful bonus day after hearing the weather forecast and a day we can be so thankful for especially after learning weather conditions in other parts of the country……   there is just no place like home!