Residents from one end of the Okanagan to the other are being warned about drought.
According to provincial officials, at least two Okanagan streams are experiencing low flows, Vaseux and Inkaneep creeks near Oliver.
鈥淪treams backed by storage are doing OK,鈥� said Corinne Jackson, Okanagan Basin Water Board communications director.
鈥淎fter historic highs this spring, Kalamalka, Okanagan, and Osoyoos lakes are nearing average levels. Aquifers throughout the Okanagan are at, or above, historical averages.鈥�
As of Tuesday, the provincial government has placed the entire Okanagan at a drought level of two.
鈥淒rought level two calls for a voluntary 10 per cent reduction in water use, but the province acknowledges that most water users on municipal systems have water conservation bylaws that differ from provincial targets due to local water supply and demand, and the availability of storage,鈥� said Jackson.
鈥淥kanagan water purveyors are generally reporting normal supply conditions. We know of only two purveyors who have moved to higher restrictions. 91大黄鸭 has moved to stage one, not because their supply is insufficient (Okanagan Lake), but because their water system is running close to capacity due to high demand. Greater Vernon Water has moved to stage one because their is below average.鈥�
The province is asking licensees with upstream storage to follow the release schedule requirements in their licences to avoid potential instream flow issues.
鈥淭he forecast is for above normal temperatures into October. There is more uncertainty about precipitation, but as of July 31, conditions across Western Canada ranged from abnormally dry to extreme drought,鈥� said Jackson.
鈥淭he OBWB, through its Okanagan WaterWise outreach and education program, has developed the Make Water Work campaign in partnership with Okanagan water utilities. Make Water Work is aimed at tackling the second largest use of water in our valley 鈥� residential outdoor use.鈥�
Visit for more information.
