Water Supply & Demand Project

Click here to go to the Okanagan Water Supply & Demand project website

Over the past several decades, the Okanagan has experienced dramatic population growth and expansion of irrigated areas, making it one of the highest water use areas in Canada — despite our dry climate.

Our water supplies are close to fully allocated.

Climate change is projected to bring warmer winters with less snow; hence, available water supplies will further dwindle as storage in the snow pack declines.

We also expect warmer summers and longer growing seasons, increasing demand for irrigation water.

• How do we plan for these changes?
• How do we reduce the impact on future generations?

The Okanagan Basin Water Board, in partnership with the BC Ministry of Environment and with significant contributions from the BC Ministry of Agriculture, the BC Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, Environment Canada, Agriculture Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Okanagan Nation Alliance, is working to establish better systems to track natural water flows, establish water-use patterns, and estimate how these will change in the future.

The Okanagan Water Supply & Demand Project is a partnership of the Okanagan Basin Water Board and the BC Ministry of Environment. Other partners include: the BC Ministries of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, and Agriculture; the federal Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Okanagan Nation Alliance; UBC-O; SFU; the BC Agriculture Council; and the Water Supply Association of BC.

Visit the Okanagan Water Supply & Demand project website for more information.