STATE OF WATER IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Water insecurity is one of the most pressing challenges facing our province, with communities lurching from one water emergency to the next,” wrote Vickey Brown and Tricia Brett in a Vancouver Sun op-ed (June 2026)
Note to Reader:
Vickey Brown is mayor of the Village of Cumberland and director at large at the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Tricia Brett is a city councillor of the District of Lake Country and co-chair of the Okanagan Collaborative Leadership Table. These elected representatives from different regions collaborated to co-author an op-ed, titled B.C. is running dry. Provincial leadership urgently needed, which was published by the Vancouver Sun newspaper on June 18, 2026.
As BC runs dry, Province must show leadership
“Before summer has even begun, much of B.C. is running dry,” wrote Vickey Brown and Tricia Brett.
“Snowpack levels have collapsed to two per cent of normal in the Okanagan and zero on Vancouver Island. Rivers in these regions are flowing lower than ever for this time of year. And the forecast looks painfully short of the rain we need.”
Representing local governments in these places, we know the stress this causes residents and local businesses. Yet our communities are being asked to manage growing water risks without the authority, resources or tools required to do so effectively. That must change.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete o-ed, download a PDF copy of “As BC runs dry, Province must show leadership” as published in the Vancouver Sun newspaper.
Setting the Stage: Current Snowpack and Drought Conditions
One factor contributing to early-season wildfire concerns in British Columbia is the below-average snowpack observed in several parts of the province. Snowpack provides insurance against dry soil and vegetation during the spring and summer by slowly releasing meltwater into ecosystems and waterways as temperatures warm.
While provincial snowpack was measured at approximately 83% of normal overall, conditions varied considerably by region. Areas with well-below normal snowpack included Vancouver Island, the South Coast, Skagit, Okanagan, Lower Thompson, and Upper Fraser West (refer to Figure below).
In Metro Vancouver, the snowpack that the district relies on for water was reported to be roughly 50% of normal, prompting regional officials to implement lawn watering restrictions beginning May 1.
To Learn More:
Visit https://climatedata.ca/
Flashback to 2015 when the changing climate resulted in a “teachable year”
“Too often people think of land and water as being independent – almost like silos. But what you do on the land or how you treat the land has direct implications and consequences for water use. That is what we are beginning to see now,” stated Kim Stephens, Partnership for Water Sustainability, in interviews with CBC and Global News in July 2015 when drought was top of mind for British Columbians.
“Part of the change that has been evolving over the past decade especially is how we view our watersheds, and how we are learning to do things differently and appreciate the significance of designing with nature. This includes being in tune with nature’s cycles.”
“The reality is that in terms of the changing climate we do have warmer, wetter winters and longer, drier summers. This is the New Normal. That pattern has been taking shape for a decade now. 2015 is our next big teachable year. It will change how we do business over the next few years.”
To Learn More:
Read B.C.’s Top Story of 2015 revealed…. to watch the year-end interview of Kim Stephens by Dan Burritt on CBC TV News
