Water restrictions for the lower Salmon River and Bessette Creek are ending despite a record-low drought continuing in the Okanagan.
Provincial orders were put in place in August 2023 to help protect threatened salmon populations.
The orders expire Saturday, Sept. 30, in alignment with the terms and conditions for irrigation water licences in B.C., which limit the irrigation period from April 1 to Sept. 30 each year. Although water restrictions are ending, water licensees are still required to follow the terms and conditions of their water licences.
The Thompson Okanagan region remains at drought level 5, the most severe rating, and many parts of the Thompson Okanagan continue to experience drought impacts. The province continues to work with communities and businesses to conserve water and voluntarily reduce water use.
“Every drop counts to make sure that everyone has the water they need,” the Ministry of Forests press release reads.
Farmers have been hit hardest since they were ordered to abruptly cease irrigation during a crucial part of their crop cycle on Aug. 15.
Simon Hergott produced a three-part documentary called Stolen Water to highlight the impact on farmers.
“If we hadn’t watered this last week to keep the bloom off and finish it we would’ve lost over 20 per cent of growth,” said Eric Buff, a Westwold farmer, following the order.
Buff has 160 acres of irrigated alfalfa, which is directly marketed to Fraser Valley dairy farmers which supply milk to B.C.
“What really concerns us is the food security fact.”
Clay Abel farms 750 acres of hay and says the order came down with no notice, no science and no meetings.
“A lot of us went ahead and watered anyway because this is our living. We could lose way over $100,000 by not getting that water on and getting another crop of hay.”
Abel and the other farmers have been doing this for years, some centuries on family farms, and know the environment and what happens.
“Mother Nature does what Mother Nature does,” Abel said. “The salmon aren’t stupid, they’ll sit and wait in Shuswap Lake until its cool enough.”
And they agree the order is a direct hit on food security.
“This is the beginning of the food chain, we produce the feed that that dairy cow eats that produces that jug of milk…the cheese you put on your hamburger…the feed for the cattle that produce that hamburger.”
Fellow Westwold farmer John Benedict says it has a direct impact on the price of food going up.
“It’s going to have a dire consequences to the food production.”
Farmers impacted by drought can access resources such as the federal-provincial AgriStability program, which helps producers with significant drops in income or increased expenses. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food, in collaboration with the federal government, is also ensuring that producers who did not enrol in AgriStability by the April 30 deadline are still eligible for late participation and can receive financial assistance. The Province also offers a low-cost production insurance program which provides coverage for plant-and-yield losses caused by extreme weather events including drought.
To provide further support for farmers and producers, the province is working with the federal government on an AgriRecovery program so that drought-impacted ranchers in B.C. get additional support for the extraordinary expenses involved in keeping their livestock fed, sheltered, in good health and in a safe environment.
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