Urgent repairs for the Chain Lake dam north of Princeton will be much more expensive than initially expected.
Initially on the agenda for the June 5 Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen board meeting, however, removed before the agenda was adopted was a report and update to the borrowing bylaw to fund the repairs.
The dam, located north of Princeton, has deteriorated in the spillway section with large cracks running the length of it.
Audits and safety inspections found the dam to be a potential hazard and in urgent need of repairs. In October of 2024, the estimate for replacing the spillway and upgrading the dam would cost about $700,000.
When the RDOS sought out quotes for the work in the spring of 2025, according to the June 5 staff report, they found that the actual cost for the project would more likely come in around $1,750,000.
Rural Princeton Director Bob Coyne directed $498,000 from the electoral area's Growing Communities fund, which would leave $1,250,000 in borrowing.
Grants have also been applied for by the RDOS to cover some of the costs.
No vote or discussion was held on the increased costs and potential change to the borrowing bylaw on June 5, but it will return at a future date.
If the full borrowing is required, according to the staff report, the cost for each of the 65 properties impacted would see an estimated annual parcel tax of
$2,170.30 for 25 years.
