REGIONAL DISTRICT OF KOOTENAY BOUNDARY DROUGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN: KETTLE RIVER WATERSHED September 2020 Acknowledgements Thank you to: Jessica Mace, Nicole McCallum and Michael Tollis of Collective Roots Consulting for their research and work preparing the draft 2019 Drought Management Plan; The Kettle River Watershed Authority Committee, now known as the Kettle River Watershed Advisory Council, for their invaluable input and continued support on our regional watershed and drought management; The Thompson Okanagan and Kootenay Boundary, BC Provincial staff from Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development for their continued support towards Boundary drought management; and Our funders, who, without their support this plan would not have been possible: City of Grand Forks; City of Greenwood; Federal Gas Tax Fund Electoral Areas C, D and E; Provincial Infrastructure Planning Grant; Village of Midway; West Boundary Community Forest; and members of the Water Suppliers Working Group: Sion Improvement District, Big White Utilities and Mount Baldy Utilities. Contact: Kristina Anderson, M.Sc., P.Ag. Watershed Planner Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Phone: 250-442-4111 Email:
[email protected] Funding Contributors: Infrastructure Planning Grant Program Federal Gas Tax Fund: Electoral Areas C, D, E 1 Executive Summary Since the early 2000’s, Boundary area residents have become increasingly aware of low flows and declining fish stocks in the Kettle River Watershed. These concerns prompted the development of the Kettle River Watershed Management Plan (KRWMP). The KRWMP (Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, 2015) outlines actions towards an integrated and ecosystem-based watershed management approach, with a focus on drought management. Four out of the five years between 2015 and 2019 experienced either very dry (Provincial drought level 3) or extremely dry (Provincial drought level 4) conditions, prompting concerns for fish survival and causing adverse economic, ecological and health impacts.