Drought 2015
Spawning salmon get help from Nicola Lake water supply
MERRITT – As level four drought conditions persist throughout the region and concern for spawning…
West Kelowna water abusers face fines before cutoff
WEST KELOWNA – Water wasters in West Kelowna will soon face a range of fines…
Province treads lightly enforcing drought rules
OKANAGAN – The province has added to the regions under a level four drought advisory,…
Kelowna adopts permanent outdoor watering restrictions
KELOWNA - In the wake of this summer’s drought, Kelowna is adopting permanent outdoor watering restrictions and bumping up its enforcement of the new rules. While reducing outdoor water use during drought is one benefit, of equal value is reducing the impact of demand spikes during dry summer months on the city’s water pipes and...
Few leafy losses following summer of drought in Kelowna
KELOWNA - All that remains of the two large cottonwood trees that used to shade the city parking lot at the Water Street boat launch are the two big holes where they once stood. One tree snapped and fell over Monday night, Sept. 28, and the other tree was removed by city crews as a...
Water drilling rush in B.C. Interior to get jump on new water regulations
IMPACT UNKNOWN THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Companies drilling water wells in the B.C. Southern Interior appear to be busier than usual and the reason may be the introduction next spring of the provincial Water Sustainability Act and its new well licensing requirements. While hard numbers of how many wells are being drilled are hard to come by...
Fishing reopens on drought-affected Okanagan rivers
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Fishermen can again drop a line in streams and rivers that were closed to angling this summer because of drought in Southern B.C. The natural resource ministry announced in a press release the reopening of fishing on the Kettle, West Kettle and Similkameen Rivers and their tributaries, the Middle Shuswap River and the main...
Province suspends fishing in Salmon Arm Bay
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The province is suspending fishing in Salmon Arm Bay where the Salmon River and Shuswap Lake meet. This action is because of conservation concerns and low stream flows. Effective this weekend, Sept. 11, until the end of the year, all fishing in Salmon Arm Bay west of Engineer's Point and Sunnybrae Point is...
River temperatures and projected sockeye returns down in B.C.
KAMLOOPS – The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is relieved to see water temperatures in the Fraser River system slowly dropping from summertime highs that could have proved lethal to returning salmon.
Signs at boat launches encourage responsible fishing in Okanagan Lake
KELOWNA – Lovers of the lure will notice some new signs at several major boat launches in Kelowna. The signs, which are presently at launches at Sutherland Park, Water Street, Queensway, Cook Road and Cedar Creek, list the native and introduced species in the lake as well as encourage people to practice responsible fishing. “The...
Water restrictions reinstated on Coldwater River
MERRITT - A water use restriction aimed at protecting fish populations in the Coldwater River has been reinstated today. As extreme drought conditions continue throughout the region, temporary water use restrictions for the Coldwater River and its tributaries was reinstated today, Sept. 2. The order affects 50 water licenses and allows for flexibility for irrigation...
Water restrictions end for Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Annual water restrictions end today, Aug. 31, but Kamloops residents are still being asked to voluntarily restrict their water use. The mandated water restrictions run from May 1 through Aug. 31 every year and while the city recently asked residents to reduce their water use, Mike Firlotte, the city’s utility services manager, says the...
Okanagan Lake water level not bad, next year could be the problem
OKANAGAN - Despite sitting smack dab in a region beset by a level four drought, Okanagan Lake is not doing too badly when it comes to water level, at least at first glance. Estimates from the natural resources ministry predict the lake won’t go down as far as it has in previous drought years. It's...
Kamloops asks residents to voluntarily use less water
KAMLOOPS – The city is asking residents and business owners to voluntarily reduce their water because of low river levels. The province recently issued a Level Four drought rating for the South Thompson and North Thompson river basins. Rainfalls have not been sufficient to replenish aquifers or local stream flow levels. The province has taken the...
Grassland-eating grasshoppers causing grief for Interior cattle ranchers
KAMLOOPS - A district board member hopes to speak with the provincial Minister of Agriculture about "a great number of complaints" about the growing grasshopper population eating away the grasslands near Kamloops and causing concerns for ranchers. Ken Gillis, the director for the Grasslands area of the Thompson Nicola Regional District, says he plans to...