The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) was instituted in 1970 through a collaboration of the three Okanagan regional districts to provide leadership on water issues that span the entire valley – recognizing the need to work together to protect our common resources.
BCMAL Production Insurance brochures collage
The webpage provides information on programs that are available to offset drought in British Columbia. Links are provided to the Production Insurance for British Columbia website, as well as a web link for federal programs. To view webpage, click on “Read more…”
The “Drought Publications” webpage provides a list of publications and factsheets on drought and water conservation. Links are provided for you to access the listed publications.
Drought Strategies – BC Min of Agriculture
This webpage provides many links to agencies who devote some of their resources to drought strategies – in Canada and the USA. To view webpage,
There are many ways of demonstrating how much water is used but very few ways of assessing how much water is wasted. ESI ( Environmental Sensors Inc.) has partnered with the city of Kelowna, British Columbia to show what happens to their water from the minute it hits the soil …..
Trickle irrigation is the frequent, low pressure application of water placed near, or directly into, the plants' root zone. Water is generally applied at a low flow rate but in an amount sufficient to replenish the crop water requirement on a daily basis. Available from the Irrigation Industry Association of B.C. is a manual which assists the producer in designing a trickle irrigation system to match soil conditions, crop characteristics, field shape and topographies; selecting the right types of components based on a knowledge of emitter performance; and installing the system accurately as per a plan.
The province of British Columbia has taken a lead role in drought management, providing water supply monitoring and forecasting, effective communication, and tools and templates.
Agriculture is a major water user in the province of British Columbia. The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands has a dedicated website for various drought strategies.
The Okanagan Valley is situated in the south central region of British Columbia, a region that is well known for orchards, vineyards and a climate that is often considered a semi desert in the southern portion of the valley. The South East Kelowna Irrigation District (SEKID) is located in the center of the valley and was faced with water management problems in the early 1990’s. The district decided to implement a demand management strategy in 1995 to help improve their capability to manage their water resource during times of drought. The strategy included the installation of meters for all agricultural and new domestic users, the implementation of an irrigation scheduling demonstration program and the development of a data management and water use reporting program.
This 274 page Handbook consists of 35 Ministry of Agriculture factsheets totalling 202 pages and 5 publications from other agencies totalling 72 pages.
