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‘Plan ahead, be prepared’: Rancher near Kamloops warns of drought conditions

Paul Devick says reservoirs are just over half full and ranchers are preparing to ration irrigation water, haul water and buy feed early.

  • Heffley Creek rancher Paul Devick, a director with the B.C. Cattlemens Association, is advising people to plan ahead as drought conditions grip the Interior, with local irrigation reservoirs sitting at just over 50 per cent fullness.
  • Lack of winter snow caused "absolutely zero runoff" in local creeks this year, Devick said, though the North Thompson River shows high streamflows, the surrounding hills remain dry.
  • Producers managing the 1,500 to 2,000 acres serviced by the Heffley Irrigation District must ration supplies, with ranchers already hauling water to livestock on pastures where creeks have dried up.
  • On Monday, May 25, the B.C. Cattlemens Association urged the province to halt all planned decommissioning of water-storage infrastructure, citing the need to protect critical flows for both fish habitat and livestock watering.
  • Devick notes that "Mother Nature is pretty mean sometimes," yet ranchers are already discussing downsizing herds and buying feed early, though rain in June could still improve conditions.
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‘Plan ahead, be prepared’: Rancher near Kamloops warns of drought conditions

A Heffley Creek cattle rancher is advising people to plan ahead and be prepared as dry conditions are being felt across B.C. Paul Devick is a director with the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA) covering the Thompson region in the province’s Interior. When asked if he was aware of drought conditions in the region, he said, “Big time, big time.” Devick said their irrigation reservoirs were sitting at just over 50 per cent fullness. “Way down fro…

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Kelowna Capital News broke the news in Kelowna, Canada on Friday, May 29, 2026.
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