INFORMATION BULLETIN
Water conservation urged as final Okanagan area increases drought rating

VICTORIA – Responding to continuing dry conditions, the Government of
B.C. has announced a Level 4 drought rating for the Okanagan Region, and
taken the additional action of suspending angling on the Okanagan River
(main-stem only) between Okanagan Lake and Osooyos Lake due to warming
water temperatures.

This brings the Okanagan region to the same drought level classification
as the South Thompson, Similkameen, Kettle and Skagit areas, which were
raised to Level 4 on July 27.

At Level 4, conditions are extremely dry. Further declines in stream,
lake and aquifer levels could lead to water shortages and affect people,
industry such as agriculture, wildlife and fish stocks. All water users,
including those who access groundwater, are urged to maximize their water
conservation efforts.

The establishment of a Level 4 drought advisory, signals that regional
water managers may take additional regulatory actions if they are deemed
necessary. Any such actions will be site specific depending on individual
stream conditions. Specific actions could include the temporary
suspension of water licences or short-term water approvals in affected
watersheds if necessary. Ministry water management staff will continue to
monitor conditions, work closely with First Nations, local governments
and key stakeholders, and provide updates as the need arises.

Although residential, agricultural and industrial users within
municipalities and regional districts backed by reservoir storage are
less vulnerable to water supply shortages than water users served by
smaller water systems from streams, lakes and wells, all water users are
encouraged to observe local water conservation bylaws to prolong water
supplies and to maintain flows for fish and ecosystems.

Water users are also reminded to ensure that water intakes are screened
to prevent fish from being pulled into water systems as water levels
drop. Low water levels can impede the passage of salmon to spawning
grounds, increase susceptibility to disease, or cause stranding or death
due to low oxygen and high water temperatures.

Separately, the angling suspension on the Okanagan River main-stem is
effective Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, to Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015. This
section of the Okanagan River is located in Wildlife Management Units 8-1
and 8-8. The closure has been put in place to protect fish stocks at a
time when they are vulnerable due to high water temperatures. Lake
fishing is not affected by the order and other at-risk streams in the
affected management units are already closed to fishing. The closure is
in addition to other closures in the southern interior that came into
effect July 15.

The B.C. government fisheries biologists are monitoring approximately 40
other key angling streams throughout the province, and if conditions
warrant, additional closures are possible. Angling closures are enabled
through the British Columbia Sport Fishing Regulations of the federal
Fisheries Act.

Water conservation is everyone’s responsibility. Many communities in B.C.
are prepared to deal with water supply shortages and low streamflow
conditions through drought management plans and water conservation
programs that are already in place.