Cooperation between the districts of Okanagan has reduced the risk of forest fires to local water supplies, according to the Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia.
Four major water utilities in Okanagan received nearly $ 68,000 in grants in the summer of 2019. These funds supported a collaborative approach to reducing forest fire risk in the region’s four major water catchment areas.
The watershed are administered by the District of Lake Country, the Black Mountain Irrigation District, the Glenmore Ellison Improvement District, and the Regional District of North Okanagan.
Work is underway to protect several high priority areas of each watershed, according to a publication by the Enhancement Society (FESBC) on Wednesday (February 10). The project will help protect the water quality of the Okanagan Basin while also making use of the wood waste left after cleaning the fuel.
“These projects provide an opportunity for well-paying jobs that enable companies like me to keep people working and investing in the industry while providing BC communities with much-needed forest fire risk reduction,” said Burke Nesjan. RPF. Sage Forestry Ltd.
A 2019 analysis identified potential fuel fractures – an area where combustible wood material is removed to slow or stop a devastating fire – in all watersheds and identified fuel fractures at the interface with the highest priority.
READ MORE: Lessons from the Christie Mountain Penticton Fire
The approval of the FESBC funding paved the way for the partners to work together. The general planning then identified priority areas for more detailed planning, including developing a recipe to reduce forest fire risk and support from BC Wildfire Services.
The District of Lake Country completed processing adjacent to Beaver Lake Lodge and Beaver Lake water intake in the district, which removed approximately 2.5 acres of waste wood.
The Black Mountain Irrigation District made operational treatment recommendations for Gorman Brothers operations on the Schram Creek slope and conducted a field survey of the proposed fuel disruption locations above the Schram Creek slope.
The Glenmore Ellison Improvement District has completed the treatment work within the interface above Postill Lake Road, and the Regional District of North Okanagan has completed the interface treatment alongside the Blue Nose Trail and is currently performing work adjacent to the private property on Blue Nose Road.
“We are excited about the overview plans that create the conditions for longer term work while addressing some of the top priority areas with the funding available,” said Dave Conly, RPF, Operations Manager at FESBC.
The work is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2021.
READ MORE: North Okanagan District Completes Forest Fire Mitigation Program
Brendan Shykora
Wild water fire
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