Whereas the Water Sustainability Act WSA was brought into force and effect to ensure a sustainable supply of fresh, clean water that meets the needs of BC residents today and in the future, and the Okanagan, like most of BC, faces real threats to watershed security over the next decade and beyond; And whereas inadequate enforcement tools, compliance monitoring, resources and penalties for contraventions under the WSA are perpetuating damages to streams, watersheds and aquifers that provide drinking water, irrigation and fisheries resources: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Ministry of Forests to allocate more staffing, funding and enforcement tools, prioritize enforcement to ensure watershed security is maintained and work collaboratively with local governments.
Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship The Province is committed to continuing to improve British Columbias drought response. The Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship have worked closely on both strategic and operational water management priorities since a ministry reorganization was initiated in April 2022. On October 19, 2023, water authorizations and operations staff in the Ministry of Forests, along with the responsibility for implementation of the Water Sustainability Act, were transitioned to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship in order to strengthen our integrated approach to water resource stewardship. The Province is committed to continue to implement the Water Sustainability Act and the specialized tools within the legislation in response to drought conditions such as Temporary Protection Orders, including declaration of significant water shortage and Fish Population Protection Orders. In addition, regulations are being drafted to implement administrative monetary penalties under the Water Sustainability Act. This will allow further action to be taken as needed to ensure the health of watersheds and aquatic ecosystems during times of drought. Following the 2023 drought season, the Province will be undertaking a review of the response, actions taken, and feedback received on the drought response o incorporate learnings and new approaches to better respond to future drought challenges. Furthermore, the Province is co-developing a Watershed Security Strategy. This work acknowledges the people and livelihoods in a watershed that are directly affected by extreme water events such as drought, and also recognizes that many people and businesses are already doing important work to protect and restore local watersheds. Engagement on the development of this strategy gathered feedback from internal and external groundwater experts, and Indigenous Peoples. Reports and updates may be found at: Watershed Security Strategy Government of British Columbia. As stated above the Province is committed to implementing the Water Sustainability Act to ensure healthy watersheds and continuing to work with Indigenous Nations, local governments and groups of interests. URL Watershed Security Strategy Government of British Columbia: https:engage.gov.bc.cawatershedsecurity