VICTORIA – The province is holding fast on a March 1 deadline for existing, non-domestic groundwater users to apply for a licence despite a low response rate. Staff from the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development have been making the rounds of farm meetings since last fall, with the result …
groundwater
Groundwater users could lose rights next year
VERNON – This summer’s dry weather resulted in a record number of restrictions on water use across southern BC, underscoring just how tapped out some basins are. Salmon River remained at drought level 5 last month – the most severe under the province’s new six-tier drought rating system – even after the autumn rains arrived. …
Grant funding for nutrient management projects
Shuswap farmers and landowners can improve their nutrient management strategies with funding from the Shuswap Watershed Council. SWC’s Water Quality Grant Program is accepting applications until April 30 for projects focused on the valley bottoms of the Shuswap and Salmon rivers. “One of the SWC’s primary objectives is to protect and maintain the water quality …
No extension for groundwater
Owners of existing non-domestic wells shouldn’t count on any further extensions of the province’s deadline for registering their wells and applying for a groundwater licence free of charge. “It is unlikely to change at this point,” said Maria Nguyen, a senior authorizations technician with FrontCounter BC, in a presentation at the Pacific Agriculture Show on …
Ranchers troubled by inconsistencies in well licensing
BEAVERDELL – An analysis of nearly 500 groundwater licences the province has issued under the Water Sustainability Act reveals sharp inconsistencies in what’s being required of owners. Sandra Ryan and partner Bill Di Pasquale are small-scale forage producers in Beaverdell. They registered their well and this past March received a conditional groundwater licence for a …
Groundwater bill causes confusion for Island farmer
NORTH SAANICH – A farmer in North Saanich is questioning how the province charges farmers for groundwater after registering his well and being billed for drawing water – even though his farm is on municipal water. Hamish Crawford grows wheat, grapes and a small amount berries and eggs on his 10-acre farm north of Victoria. …