Okanagan Hard Hit by Ongoing Drought, Plea Made for Conservation
Officials say reduced river flows and voluntary conservation are needed to protect fish, wildlife and water supplies as drought pressure increases.
- On Tuesday, MLA Randene Neill urged residents to conserve water as forecasts indicate elevated drought conditions in the coming weeks. The government is promoting voluntary measures to protect local watersheds from increasing water scarcity.
- Prolonged dry conditions combined with intense heat have worsened drought across the Southern Interior, with stream flows in sustained decline. Neill noted rising temperatures are placing "additional stress on fish and aquatic ecosystems," prompting urgent action.
- Domtar General Manager Krista Cuddy reported that regulators authorized a reduction in Cowichan River flow to 5.5 cubic metres per second on July 7. Monitoring by Kerr Wood Leidal suggests "a high likelihood" pumps will be required later this year.
- Notably, Kamloops has moved to a Stage 4 water restriction, while five basins including the Nicola and South Thompson are at Drought Level 4. Residents can save up to 8,300 litres annually by turning off the tap while shaving.
- If stream flows decline further, the government may issue temporary protection orders, as it did on the Salmon River and Bessette Creek in 2024 and 2025. "We don't want to have to keep doing this," Neill said.
5 Articles
5 Articles
Okanagan hard hit by ongoing drought, plea made for conservation
Prolonged dry conditions combined with this summer's intense heat, has worsened the drought across much of B.C., MLA Randene Neill says. As such, low stream flows are being noted across the province, and the issue is particularly pronounced in the Okanagan, where that coupled with rising water tempe...
Koksilah, Cowichan watersheds feeling the drought pinch
The provincial government is urging anyone and everyone from individual residents to businesses to take action to conserve water as water scarcity and drought risks ramp up with the heat this summer, particularly as the mercury rises over the next few weeks. “Protecting B.C.’s water resources is a shared responsibility, and the actions we take today will help communities, farmers and businesses manage increasing drought pressures,” said Randene …
New research on drought urges shift from crisis response to community resilience - Water Canada
As British Columbia heads into another difficult drought season, new research from the POLIS Water Sustainability Project at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies offers recommendations to create a drought-ready B.C. The report, Drought Ready analyzes the last decade of droughts and drought management in B.C. and offers practical guidance to move away from reactive crisis response and toward proactive drought planning. “We need …
Elevated drought risk prompts water conservation plea
B.C. residents are being urged to conserve water, as forecasts suggest that much of the province will experience elevated drought conditions in the coming weeks that may increase the risk of water scarcity. The warning comes from the province, with the latest B.C. Drought and Water Scarcity Bulletin, issued on July 16, noting that flows for many rivers in drier regions, such as the Southern Interior, are in sustained decline, and may be the lowe…
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