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Well registration continues to lag
expectations Process a “bureaucratic nightmare,” ranchers say
by DAVID SCHMIDT KAMLOOPS – Hardly
anyone disputes that licencing groundwater use is a good idea but in practical terms it has been an unmitigated disaster in BC. Groundwater licencing
requirements and usage fees came into effect March 16, 2016, as part of the rollout of the province’s Water Stewardship Act.
While individual domestic
groundwater users are exempt from the requirements, other users could protect their FIT-FIR (first-in-time, first-in-right) rights by registering their existing wells before March 1, 2019 (they will still have to pay
for groundwater usage from March 16, 2016). The province expects owners to register about 20,000 wells, primarily used for irrigation, watering livestock and other agricultural purposes. As an added incentive,
government promised to waive the application fee for wells registered before March 16, 2017. When that drew little response, the waiver was extended to December 31, 2017. It has done little to attract new registrations. “As of September 8, 2017
there have been approximately 1,333 licence applications for historic groundwater use that pre- dates the Water Sustainability Act,” reports BC Ministry of
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • OCTOBER 2017
PUMPKIN TIME! Seasonal farm worker Rolando Antonio was harvesting pumpkins for Don-O-Ray Vegetables in Kelowna in September. Antonio works six months in BC and then at home in Mexico for six months. MYRNA STARK LEADER PHOTO
Environment & Climate Change Strategy public affairs officer Danielle Bell. Of even greater concern is
the fact only 86 licences have been granted to that date. “If that’s all they’ve been able to process, what is it they’re doing?” asks BC Cattlemen’s Association general manager Kevin Boon. “Some of these applications should have been just rubber- stamped.”
Boon supports the concept
of groundwater licencing, saying it’s critical for a rancher’s water security. The process, however, is a “bureaucratic nightmare.” “They ask a lot of questions
that are not necessary,” he says. “If you’re licenced for a certain amount of water, why
do they need to know where each irrigation line and water trough is? They’ve made it a lot more complicated than it needs to be.”
Weeks to months Bell admits the review
period “can range from weeks to months,” saying the application review time “varies by region and by application depending on staff resources and complexity of the application.”
She notes that once users
have submitted their application, they may continue to use the water while the application is reviewed. Boon says many ranchers
are holding off registering their wells until a livestock
watering regulation covering water usage on Crown range is in place, suggesting many believe they do not need a licence for the volume of water they consume at home. Although the regulation
was “pretty much in place” this spring, Boon says it wasn’t approved before the May 9 election and the new government may revisit it. Bell says there are currently
“no plans to extend” the registration deadline, but BC Agriculture Council executive director Reg Ens has other ideas. “We need to do a restart,”
Well Licence Deadline Fast Approaching!
Under the new Water Sustainability Act, ALL groundwater wells used for any purpose other than
single family residential domestic use require a licence. Apply before December 31, 2017 to avoid fees.
Need help submitting the application? Ask us! Specializing in LASER LEVELLING and DRAIN TILE
Also Site Preparation for
call 604.209.5524
www.erskinesons.com
1-844-585-0802 (Toll Free) 250-585-0802 (Direct)
wsa@waterlineresources.com Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island,Okanagan
he says, pointing out that government staff “couldn’t talk to us for three months during the election” and is now – rightly – focussed on the wildfires and their aftermath. Boon says a planned mid- September meeting between the BCCA and the ministers of Environment, Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations, and Agriculture will discuss the registration deadline. On the plus side, Bell indicates that enforcement actions set forth in the Water Sustainability Act are a last resort for producers found non-compliant with the new regime. “Government’s current
focus is on improving communications and outreach to ensure existing groundwater users are aware of the new requirements, as well as improving the efficiency of the licence review process,” she says. “There have been a number of enhancements made to the online groundwater licence application system to reduce complexity and government is continuing to look for ways to support applicants and improve the experience of users.”
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