Province pulls plug on Coldwater River water use
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – In a bid to help struggling salmon populations, water use reduction measures have been imposed on the Coldwater River.
The province issued the restriction today, July 31, banning all water use or diversion from the Coldwater River and its tributaries from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. effective immediately.
The restriction escalates to a complete ban on all water use beginning Aug. 11 through to Sept. 30, 2015. Depending on water flow the regional water manager may allow some water use at his discretion.
Angling on the river had already been suspended earlier this month.
The southern part of the province and Vancouver Island are under either level three or four drought conditions and the ministry has asked water providers to voluntarily cut use by 30 per cent.
Most of the 50 irrigation water license holders have already begun restricting use but it hasn’t had the desired effect.
According to a release, this is only second time the regulation has been invoked since it was introduced in 2009.
Angling has been suspended on the Coldwater River, Nicola River and Spius Creek, the Middle Shuswap River and some South Okanagan rivers and tributaries.
To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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