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Recent Castanet stories quoting Matt Hanson about the use of Mission Creek as a source of water for the City of Kelowna need to be corrected.
Mr. Hanson expresses the fear that using Mission Creek as a source of drinking water at some point in the future will drain the creek dry. That is not going to happen – no more water is expected to be drawn from the creek than is currently licensed to the Black Mountain Irrigation District.
Not only that, but the integration of the system with water drawn from Okanagan Lake will add flexibility to give the creek a break when it is at low-flow times of the year or during a drought. Quite to the contrary of Mr. Hanson’s expressed fears, the flow in the creek for environmental and ecological needs will be better protected by this new system.
The City would never do anything to damage Mission Creek or the wildlife that rely on the creek and will be proceeding with the full involvement of relevant provincial ministries and agencies.
There are federal and provincial laws that regulate withdrawing water from creeks and rivers to ensure the health of streams including flows required for environmental reasons. Black Mountain Irrigation District currently uses Mission Creek for the majority of the year to provide its customers with drinking water.
There is more studying to be done – we will be doing a water modeling study to get a clear picture of our local water sources and their capacities.
The strength of the 2017 Kelowna Integrated Water Supply Plan is its built-in resiliency and redundancy. If there is a shortfall in Mission Creek for any reason, more water could be drawn from Okanagan Lake or ground water.
The primary agricultural sources include Hydraulic, Scotty and Kelowna creeks, along with the ability to draw from existing wells, Mission Creek and Okanagan Lake if agricultural sources are compromised.
The City is committed to protecting or restoring fish and wildlife stock and habitat in Mission Creek and is an active partner in the Mission Creek Restoration Initiative (MCRI), a multi-phase, multi-stakeholder partnership formed officially in 2008 to restore natural functions to the lower sections of Mission Creek.
Ron Westlake
Water Integration Project Manager
City of Kelowna
