Water usage and summer activities are going to look a bit different this year.
In February, the City of Kamloops released a comprehensive Drought Response Plan after the record drought experienced in the Thompson-Nicola region in 2023. The levels of the Thompson Rivers remain low and the city is preparing for low rainfall in the coming months.
According to the April report from the B.C. River Forecast Centre, the overall provincial snowpack levels are at 63 per cent, the lowest recorded in the last 50 years. The North Thompson snowpack is at 71 per cent of normal and the South Thompson is at 79 per cent. In a Q&A with The Wren, the chair of the natural resource sciences department at Thompson Rivers University Tom Pypker explains why people should be concerned with this data.
The water system here is snow-driven, Pypker explains. A lot of the water used during summer months in semi-arid climates like Kamloops (Tk’emlúps) doesn’t come down here. “It falls up in the mountains and then accumulates as snow. And just like a savings account… it doles out that water later in the year.”
With the province’s water “bank account” running so low, all levels of government are concerned about how the 2024 season will be impacted.
Residents from across Kamloops are already feeling the weight of regional drought with increased bear sightings due to natural habitat food shortages and an early start to the wildfire season from the grassfire that erupted at Cooney Bay on April 22.
Following the Drought Response Plan, the City of Kamloops also released a statement of change to municipal water restrictions on Wednesday, April 10. The new watering restrictions will be held in place year-round and allow residents to water three days per week per property between the hours of 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. Failure to comply with municipal restrictions can result in an initial $100 fine, being raised to $200 for further violations.
The City of Kamloops Drought Response Plan is separated into three sections: water use restrictions, phased irrigation reduction and drought response communication.
The water restrictions will be felt most by residential areas, as this impacts day-to-day watering of lawns, trees and shrubs as well as operating backyard pools and hot tubs. The city has released updated information to better outline the restrictions to the public on their website, including varying restrictions for the different drought levels.
The phased irrigation reduction targets municipal facilities and spaces such as public parks, roadside flower beds and large greenspaces. The irrigation reduction plan will be enacted throughout the city starting at drought level four.
The third and final section of the response plan will focus on communicating information to residents through advertising, informational prints, and social media campaigns. The city is working to develop communications throughout all departments in response to another anticipated dry season and to get that information out to the public.
Greg Wightman, the utility service manager for the City of Kamloops and the author of the administrative report to council, tells The Wren the city spoke with several interior governments and waterworks districts for input.
“Both the City of Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc participate on the provincially-ran Thompson Okanagan Regional Drought Response Team, which seeks local insight into the impacts of drought and provides local governments and First Nations an opportunity to contribute to the province’s drought level classification.”
On May 1, the Tk’emlúps Drought Response Team issued a notice of updated water restrictions. Residents on the Tk’emlúps reserve are to alternate watering based on addresses between 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. on their designated day. Residents are also reminded that as an autonomous and self-governing body, restrictions are enforced by Tk’emlúps bylaw and not other provincial jurisdictions.
“TteS is working with the municipality and other regional bodies like the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Shuswap Tribal Council and First Nations Emergency Services to address the current drought and wildfire risks to the community,” Tkwenem7íple7 (Councillor) Justin Gottfriedson tells The Wren.
Gottfriedson currently holds the planning and engineering portfolio for Tk’emlúps and has helped to form working groups and committees to monitor and create action plans for environmental concerns in the area.
Tk’emlúps is developing its own drought response that is culturally inclusive to the community and works directly with its membership to educate and create awareness.
The Secwépemc have a long history of practicing land stewardship in the region, and Gottfriendson says Tk’emlúps intends to use modern strategies but root them in traditional cultural views.
A public statement issued by Tk’emlúps reminds readers:
“All British Columbians are responsible for the sustainability of water and aquatic ecosystems. All water users in drought-affected areas are asked to cooperate and contribute to the goal of conservation.”
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