香蕉视频直播淲ater is king in the (Okanagan Valley). Nothing is more important than water.香蕉视频直播�

With those words, Okanagan Indian Band Chief Byron Louis helped launch the 2023 version of the Make Water Work community and individual challenge to make commitments to water conservation on Thursday (May 18), appropriately held at the UnH2O xeriscape demonstration garden at the Mission sports complex on Gordon Drive.

Louis talked about how the 34 streams that feed into Okanagan Lake are already over-allocated by provincial and federal government-approved water uses.

The same goes for groundwater, he said, something the province has stepped up research and water monitoring efforts of in recent years to better understand water flow and natural aquifer storage habits below the ground.

香蕉视频直播淪o that leaves the spring runoff as the remainder of the water, and this year that is already done. So where do we go from here?香蕉视频直播�

The answer to that question is something the Okanagan Basin Water Board has set upon developing for more than a decade, bringing forward water use realities for a valley in a semi-arid climate zone, educating various stakeholders on how to conserve water and embracing the Indigenous relationship with the land which dates back hundreds of years 香蕉视频直播� about conserving water now for future generations and living within the means allowed by our environment.

Louis talked about Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Glenmore as once being known as Drought Valley.

香蕉视频直播淣owhere in that valley is there a 香蕉视频直播榞len香蕉视频直播� or a 香蕉视频直播榤oor.香蕉视频直播� You will not find that anywhere,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淲e have to stop giving the valley attributes it does not have,香蕉视频直播� adding those attributes are instead dictated by nature and what the local environment can sustain.

Make Water Work, started in 2013, has been one public education strategy, creating a competition among communities across the valley from Vernon to Osoyoos to collect the most water conservation pledges.

香蕉视频直播淭his is year 13, and we have won it five of the 13 years,香蕉视频直播� said Armstrong Mayor Joe Cramer.

香蕉视频直播淧eachland is next at four. So we feel it is time for some of our neighbours to step up to the challenge.香蕉视频直播�

Jordan Coble, a Westbank First Nation band councillor, echoed the sentiments expressed by Louis, calling water a precious and sacred resource that serves all living things, creatures big and small, and is not simply a resource that people can waste or use carelessly.

香蕉视频直播淥ur Indigenous culture recognizes the importance of water and also respects our role to protect it as a sacred resource,香蕉视频直播� Coble said.

He said the release of two million Salmon fry into Mission Creek earlier in the morning is a reflection of that commitment to future generations, restocking a creek salmon run cut off by attempts to redirect the naturally meandering creek to foster development growth and flood control.

香蕉视频直播淲e are giving the salmon a chance to have their home back,香蕉视频直播� said Coble.

香蕉视频直播淓ven though we may not see the immediate benefits of this our lifetime, we can be proud of doing this work to benefit others, our future generations.香蕉视频直播�

Lake Country Mayor Blair Ireland, OBWB vice-chair, said he grew up in Kelowna, not far from Mission Creek, and never remembers it being this dry or this hot during May in his childhood.

Ireland said climate change is forcing Okanagan Valley residents to reduce the strain on our water resources.

香蕉视频直播淭he path we have been on is not a sustainable path. We need to be more water-wise,香蕉视频直播� Ireland said.

香蕉视频直播淭hings are changing very rapidly and we香蕉视频直播檝e got to be ready for that. We have seen growth in our community of 22.6 per cent in population over the last four years.

香蕉视频直播淲e are one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada. It is prudent to be thinking about the conservation of our water resource.香蕉视频直播�

Ireland said that means being receptive to new ideas 香蕉视频直播� not watering pavement driveways, not watering lawns from dawn to dusk, adjusting the use of irrigation, not growing grass lawns, using xeriscape plants in gardens that are native to the local environment, using rain barrels to collect precipitation for use in gardens and using grass clippings as mulch.

For more information about the Make Water Work challenge and how to participate, check out the website .

To learn more about what plants are sustainable in the Okanagan, go to the website.

READ MORE: Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Okanagan, Arrow Lakes, Boundary

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