The drought this year certainly wasn鈥檛 as bad as 2023, when severe drought fuelled a frightening fire season in the Okanagan. And that, said outgoing Okanagan Basin Water Board communication manager Corinne Jackson, is in part due to residents who did their part to conserve this year.
"But there were still impacts on crops, and on fish," said Jackson, who manages OBWB's Okanagan WaterWise outreach/education program, and Make Water Work. "This means we need fall rains, a good snowpack, and a nice slow spring melt to recover. Whether that happens, or not, we can鈥檛 predict."
With days getting cooler and rains forecast in the next few days, Jackson said water managers are hoping it brings relief to some Okanagan streams that have been struggling this year.
In particular, the South Okanagan鈥檚 Shingle and Shatford Creek remain at Level 3, Shuttleworth Creek is at Level 4 and has had problems with fish passage, and Vaseux 鈥� which is dry at the mouth 鈥� is at Level 5.
During a regional drought call Wednesday, Oct. 16, it was decided to keep the Okanagan at Level 2 until the impact of the potential rains is known.
At Level 2 adverse impacts to socioeconomic or ecosystem values (for example, impacts for farmers, or aquatic life including fish) are unlikely. At Level 3, these impacts become 鈥減ossible;" at Level 4 they are 鈥渓ikely;鈥� and at Level 5 they are 鈥渁lmost certain.鈥�
鈥淲e were very happy to see strong participation in the Make Water Work campaign this year, especially given the concerns around the valley鈥檚 water supply and the need for everyone to adopt more WaterWise behaviours,鈥� Jackson said.
Make Water Work is delivered in partnership with local governments, water utilities, and garden centre and irrigation businesses throughout the valley. As part of the campaign, residents were encouraged to pledge to undertake at least one of and be entered to win $500 in WaterWise yard material.
Some 318 people pledged and one of this year鈥檚 winners is Lisa Boulanger of 91大黄鸭.
鈥淲ater is so precious here and it鈥檚 not going to change so we are the ones that have to change," said Boulanger, who is with the 91大黄鸭 Garden Club which has been encouraging members to move away from the traditional English cottage garden, or to at least use plants better suited to the Okanagan.
Among some of the WaterWise gardening practices Boulanger uses is to mulch garden beds in the spring, which feeds plants and helps hold moisture so they require less watering, and she has installed drip irrigation.
鈥淚 try to lead by example,鈥� she said, adding she plans to use some of her prize winnings to fix up an irrigation zone and plant an Okanagan-appropriate tree.
The Town of Oliver reclaimed its Make Water Work Community Champion title for collecting the most pledges per capita. This is Oliver鈥檚 second win after taking the title in 2014.
Every year, the Make Water Work campaign has improved, grown in scope, and attracted new partners, and this year was no exception. The campaign partnered with FireSmartBC in 2024, noting the plants on the Make Water Work Plant Collection list that are also deemed FireSmart.
鈥淭his was important to us, knowing that our communities need to be prepared for both drought and fire, and that you can have both by following WaterWise and FireSmart principles,鈥� Jackson said.
Fall is an excellent time to plant, said Jackson, and you can find the Make Water Work Plant Collection list and the partners that carry it at . 鈥�
"If you鈥檙e not ready to do the landscaping work now, it鈥檚 also a great time to start planning for spring,鈥� she said.
Jackson, who launched and has managed the board鈥檚 program and its Make Water Work and campaigns, is leaving the organization later this week after 15 years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a dream to create programs, campaigns and resources in response to real-world, real-Okanagan, issues, and to grow partnerships to expand the reach of the Water Board鈥檚 messages and efforts,鈥� she said.
The Make Water Work campaign was first launched in 2011 and is aimed at tackling the second largest use of water in the valley 鈥� residential outdoor use.
