Beaches in Summerland have been closed to the public as the water level in Okanagan Lake continues to rise.

Rotary Beach was closed to the public on Tuesday afternoon, and the walking trail along the lakefront has also been closed.

The public docks at Rotary Beach are now underwater and wharves are beginning to break up

A tiger dam has been erected at Powell Beach.

Elsewhere along the lakefront, residents and community volunteers have been working to erect sandbag dikes to protect against the rising lake level.

Linda Tynan, chief administrative officer for Summerland, said the water level in Okanagan Lake had risen to 342.94 metres by Wednesday afternoon, close to the predicted maximum capacity of 343.05 metres.

Overnight on Tuesday to Wednesday morning, a storm caused damage near the water.

鈥淚n some ways, Summerland got off relatively easy, compared to other lakefront municipalities,鈥� Tynan said.

Still, the effects of the rising lake levels have been noticeable.

鈥淧rivate property is where most of the damage has occurred,鈥� she said.

The water level in the lake is expected to remain high for most of the summer.