AUGUST 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
Good weather marks return to
normal conditions Drought fears subside while wildfire fears loom large
by PETER MITHAM VICTORIA – Producers
across BC saw summer weather in line with normal last month, so far as “normal” exists in a decade marked by late springs, severe drought and record-breaking flood and wildfire events, not to mention some of the earliest icewine harvests on record. While tree fruit and berry
growers watched as fruit sized up nicely with good sugar levels, grain farmers in the Peace were watching the skies. Spring moisture and dry summer conditions that had them tracking towards a promising harvest until heavy rains in mid-July raised dampened their hopes. “There are probably a few
ruts created in fields that we don’t like to put there,” says BC Grain Producers Association president Rick Kantz regarding the effects of the spring rains. It limited the ability to apply some crop protection products, but the hassles were minor compared to other years. “Overall, the crop is
looking pretty good,” said Kantz earlier in the month. “If we get a couple more inches of rain towards the end of July, we’ll have a good crop.” While spring rains made it difficult to get crop protection products on, mid- July's deluge boosted disease pressure. Similarly, winemakers
reported in mid-July that wine grapes were on track for another early harvest. Veraison had yet to occur as this issue went to press, but Mary McDermott, winemaker with Township 7 Vineyards in Penticton, said the vines were “just racing.” Similarly, in the Fraser
Valley, some vegetable growers sent plants to market that were starting to bolt because of the hot, dry weather in May. The weather conditions
also brought risks, including lightning storms and their rogue, wildfires. Blazes cast a pall of smoke
across the southern Okanagan as well as the Cariboo in July, although were nowhere near the scale or frequency seen in 2017 at press time. Providing this continues, ranchers and vineyards are likely to see relatively limited impacts.
The dry weather is raising
the threat of water restrictions, however. While many parts of the
Okanagan were beset by flooding earlier this year, the province’s water
management branch sent letters to surface and groundwater users in June advising them of “seasonally dry conditions” and encouraging conservation. “Part of the messaging to
the agriculture community was to use water now, where water levels are healthy and still available, as later in the season there may be less water available for irrigation,” staff with the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development told Country Life in BC. “These letters were an early-season heads-up. As drought conditions deteriorate, there will be more direct
communication with water users outlining the severity of conditions and urging more water conservation actions.” Drought-trackers with
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada declared much of BC
15
A plume of wildfire smoke is some distance away from this Kelowna corn field but still a cause for worry. Wildfire conditions in the central Okanagan were a concern at press time. MYRNA STARK LEADER PHOTO
to be “abnormally dry” at the end of June, with pockets of “moderate drought” in the Cariboo, southern Interior and southern Vancouver Island. Two weeks later, the province’s own water management branch indicated an improvement in conditions, however, with just 11 water basins out of the 29 in the province experiencing dry conditions. This was down from 21 a month earlier. “Drought conditions
around the province are currently what would normally be expected at this time of year,” provincial staff reported. “However, given the
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current widespread very warm, dry conditions, it is expected that more areas in the province will begin to experience impacts.” Southern Vancouver Island
saw rapidly dropping water levels in July, particularly in
the Chemainus and Koksilah rivers.
“Some water licensees on southern Vancouver Island have been contacted directly because of rapidly dropping water levels,” the province said.
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