‘Not enough water’: Farmers worried restrictions in B.C. region will threaten crops

Fruit growers in the Okanagan say new watering limits could cripple crops.

An organization representing B.C. orchardists says stage three water restrictions in Vernon will negatively impact their crops and could cause hundreds of millions of dollars in economic loss.

Deep Brar, the president of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, said the industry is still reeling from the 2021 heat dome and 2024’s deep freeze.

“Now all of a sudden, this year, water is our problem,” he said. “It’s almost like it doesn’t end.”

Historically low levels

On June 4, the Regional District of North Okanagan introduced Stage 3 water restrictions within the Greater Vernon Water Service due to declining supply and increasing demand.

David Sewell, the RDNO’s Chief Administrative Officer, said reservoirs are at historically low levels.

“We didn’t have a significant snowpack,” he said.

“We also haven’t seen the amount of precipitation to help fill the reservoirs that we had hoped.”

Per the restrictions, the agricultural community is required to reduce their water usage by 70 per cent.

Sewell said he recognizes the industry is an important part of the economy, but that the region is trying to conserve as much water as possible.

“Unfortunately, there’s not enough water to allocate as normal growing conditions,” he said.

“We’re trying to move forward and allocate it across the agricultural community as fairly as possible.”

Sewell added, the region implemented the restrictions as quickly and prudently as it could.

“We’re trying to move forward with the situation that we currently face,” he said.

‘Tree deaths’

Brar said, the decision will affect 2,100 acres of apple and cherry trees in Vernon.

“What we’re looking at is a huge economic impact on the Vernon area,” he said.

“We’re looking at $250 to $300 million, and we’re looking at tree deaths.”

He added the timing for the restrictions couldn’t be worse as farmers approach July and August.

“We totally understand there’s a shortage of water in the valley,” he said.

“But it comes down to what do we need as a society—which is food.”

Brar said the industry would have liked to have been consulted on the decision, and said he’s hoping for a solution, such as an incentive program.

“We need our watering districts to be on the side of fruit production for us,” he said.

District meeting

On Wednesday, the RDNO met with agricultural users.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food, in a statement, said it understands the serious concerns expressed by growers in the Vernon area regarding the restrictions.

It added that impacted farmers enrolled in the ministry’s Production Insurance or AgriStability programs are eligible to receive support when they experience significant declines in production or increased costs associated with drought.