There are no dredges that worked the Okanagan existing anymore, and few photographs to show.
The photo below shows us what the Okanagan River channel between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake (once called Dog Lake) looked like originally. When you see this idyllic scene, and then picture a "largish"steamboat attempting to make its way from one lake to the other through this narrow, winding, channel, you will understand the struggles they had.
Below is a photo from when they were creating the Channel that exists now between Okanagan and Skaha Lake (from the Kelowna Capital News). The dredges were constructed on small barges with a boom crane and bucket attached, to move silt and sand from the floor of the lakes and rivers. The dredges were also used to pound pilings in where needed to prevent erosion along the riverbank, and as a flood control aid by keeping the channels from filling with silt. A few of these pilings may still be seen along the oxbows.
A photo of a dredge working to clear sand from the area of the Penticton dock. If you look in the middle ground of the photo, you will see the dredge and a large pile of sand to the right of it. With the constant action of the waves, sand gets moved around according to nature's laws and not necessarily placed where it is convenient to what people want. The dredges were kept busy at the various landing docks and down the Okanagan River Channel. This photo was taken on a day when there was a Regatta being held as evidenced by all the small row boats and canoes on the water, and the crowd gathered to watch.
Dredging began on the river in 1908, but the Dredge Shed was not constructed until 1933. It was constructed in a way that allowed vessels access on the north side and vehicle access on the east side. Double doors on the upper level enabled the provisions and tools be loaded by the crane on the dredge.
The two photos below are of the ships that attempted to navigate the river between the two lakes. As you can see they are smaller than the SS Sicamous, but still too large to be running up and down the twisting river. The SS Kaleden made only one trip and got stuck on the way back. The SS York did make a few trips, but it was a challenge, so it was put to work on Okanagan Lake once the train
connection between Penticton South station and Okanagan Falls was completed.
For some interesting stories about the dredge work and the various boats that travelled the River, the following links to Okanagan Historical Reports have anecdotes, along with information on other related Okanagan history.
This last link is to OHS Report #54 which includes a few pages from Joe McDonald's daily journal from January 1916, describing his days of work on the dredge that month. It gives a good glimpse in to the struggles that these men went through, especially in winter.
Комментарии