Summer time could also be coming to an finish within the Okanagan, however the drought that got here with it’s nonetheless going sturdy — and in keeping with native specialists, it’s not going away anytime quickly.
“We’re in Drought Degree 3 as a result of we’re experiencing heat waters and lower-than-normal stream flows,” stated Sandra Shira, a water scientist for the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB).
And this yr’s circumstances are removed from uncommon.
“The Okanagan is of course a dry space — it’s susceptible to excessive temperatures and low precipitation,” she stated. “However proper now, we’re in a state of extended drought. We’ve been in drought for a couple of years now.”
British Columbia’s drought ranking system contains 5 ranges, with Degree 5 being essentially the most extreme. However critics say the system doesn’t totally replicate the truth on the bottom — particularly in Indigenous territories just like the Syilx Okanagan Nation.
The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) lately despatched a proper letter to the Ministry of Land, Water and Useful resource Stewardship, elevating issues after the Syilx Okanagan territory was labeled at Degree 0 — the bottom drought stage — regardless of ongoing dry circumstances.
Get each day Nationwide information
Get the day’s high information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.
“The place of ONA is that drought and water administration are explicitly linked, and that the separation of drought ranges and administration actions by the Province is disingenuous,” the letter acknowledged.
Schira says the OBWB has publicly supported the ONA’s place and is getting ready a proper response of its personal.
“Circumstances range throughout the valley,” she stated. “The ONA’s letter critiques the brand new drought stage course of the province carried out this yr — and we’re actively engaged on a response.”
In response, the province says it met with the ONA final week to debate shared issues over watershed safety and long-term drought planning.
“We agreed to nearer communication on how watershed administration and drought are being skilled on the bottom as selections are made by the Province,” the Ministry stated in a press release.
Even with cooler temperatures on the way in which, drought-level water restrictions stay in place throughout a lot of the Okanagan — and residents are urged to remain conscious of their water use.
“There’s many advantages to conserving,” Schira stated. “It helps the panorama — particularly in a dry area just like the Okanagan — and it helps your pocketbook. You don’t need to be spending on water you don’t want.”
Because the drought deepens, the dangers develop — for farmers, fish habitats, and future water provides.
© 2025 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
