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Severe drought prompts new order limiting water use for irrigation in B.C. Interior
The order affects 131 licence holders after record-low flows left spawning Chinook salmon at risk, provincial officials said.
- On Friday, August 28, the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship issued a temporary fish protection order requiring 131 surface-water and groundwater licence holders in the Bessette Creek watershed to immediately halt high-volume water usage to protect endangered Chinook salmon.
- Persistent drought conditions caused record low flows in the watershed, remaining below the critical threshold required for Chinook salmon survival; despite significant voluntary conservation efforts, the province implemented mandatory restrictions under the Water Sustainability Act.
- The order restricts water for irrigation of forage crops, processing ore, and well drilling. Bessette Creek, which runs through Lumby and the Splatsin First Nation main reserve, is described by officials as a "critical concern" for salmon conservation.
- Farmers and ranchers affected by the order can contact AgriService BC for assistance regarding potential crop failures or income declines. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food remains available to help producers with questions or claims.
- Provincial staff will monitor streamflows continuously and may lift restrictions if water levels recover sufficiently to support fish survival. Since 2023, the province has invested $120 million into the Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program, supporting more than 700 producer projects to improve water storage.
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Bowen Island UndercurrentReposted by 
Coast Reporter
Coast ReporterDrought prompts order limiting irrigation from Bessette Creek in B.C. Interior
VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA — A new water-restriction order has been placed on the Bessette Creek area in the southern Interior of British Columbia, after the province deemed chinook salmon at risk from drought conditions. The B.C.
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Total News Sources24
Leaning Left14Leaning Right0Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Left
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources lean Left
64% Left
L 64%
C 36%
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