The Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) has the support of the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) in challenging the provincial government's change in methods for declaring regional drought level classifications.
The ONA argues the Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship's new drought monitoring method - shifting from what it says was a collaborative, catchment-scale assessment to a basin-scale, top-down approach – will fail to reflect the on-the-ground realities.
The ONA says its drought monitoring shows critically low water flows, persistently high water temperatures and declining groundwater, yet the new provincial drought classifications do not reflect these conditions.
The Province has asserted that drought levels are not tied to management actions, while the ONA maintains that drought and water management are explicitly connected and that separating them is disingenuous.
"This has produced a troubling disconnect between the province's assigned drought levels and the reality in our territory where streams and wetlands are drying up," said ONA Tribal Chief Clarence Louis in a letter sent to the ministry.
In her report to the water board, OBWB executive director Melissa Tesche agreed with the ONA assessment, saying the new provincial method for determining drought levels is not appropriate for the Okanagan.
"In addition to the sound arguments presented by the ONA, drought levels disconnected from management actions risk undermining water conservation messaging and the efforts of utilities that have enacted watering restrictions," Tesche stated in her report to the water board.
"OBWB staff have shared these concerns with (WLRS ministry) technical staff throughout the summer."
Drought level postings have served as an important barometer for the OBWB to inform the public about the water level situation in Okanagan lakes and streams, and to encourage water conservation initiatives and further research, in particular concerning groundwater levels.
The need for more data at various stream-inflow and lake catchment points has been championed by the water board and ONA in recent years, as site-specific data helps present a more detailed and informative statistical analysis for water management experts and the general public, between higher and lower elevations and different watershed catchment areas within the region.
When asked by Black Press Media for an explanation for the drought classification change, the ministry responded via email that updates to the provincial drought level system were made this year with the aim of improving consistency and public transparency in communicating about and distinguishing between drought and water scarcity.
"Drought is a recurring climate phenomenon that produces abnormally dry conditions, compared to the historical record," stated the ministry response.
"Water scarcity is the lack of available water to meet human or ecological needs. Local water scarcity risk and impacts can occur in the absence of drought, and can also be introduced or made worse by drought. "
The ministry statement further said that provincial drought levels don't directly trigger statutory water management decisions.
"Assessment of local water scarcity risk and water management decisions should be made at the local or watershed scale using on-the-ground knowledge. Both climate and human factors (water use and land use, for example) play important roles."
But the ONA says that drought and water management are not separate issues, but explicitly connected, "and that the separation of drought levels and management actions by the province is disingenuous.
Under the new monitoring system, the drought levels for Syilx Territory in the Okanagan basin are being set at 0 even as ONA monitoring shows low flows in many of their territory creeks and streams, as fish are being impacted, and the forecast continues to expect hot, dry weather into the fall.
The Similkameen watershed, currently experiencing the most severe drought in the province and classified as a drought level 4, should be considered level 5, the ONA contends.
"Record-low flows, persistently high water temperatures throughout the summer, and continuously declining groundwater levels support this assessment," the ONA has stated to the ministry.
The ministry confirmed to Black Press that Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill will meet with ONA officials "to better understand local watershed security and water scarcity."
