After an extensive search for funding lasting almost eight years, the City of Kimberley has successfully secured $400,000 to conduct a study on the potential impact of wildfires on its drinking water supply. The initiative was prompted by the 2018 Meachen Creek fire, which highlighted concerns about the susceptibility of local water sources.
Mathieu Bourbonnais, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan and co-director of the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, emphasized the importance of recognizing the reliance on the environment for drinking water, noting that wildfires are altering natural systems. Kimberley’s drinking water is sourced from the Mark Creek and Matthew Creek watersheds, making it vulnerable to quality and availability issues in the event of a severe wildfire.
The project’s objective is to identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them without compromising the water supply. Collaborating with Bob Gray, a wildland fire ecologist, Bourbonnais is conducting research to model potential fire behavior in the Mark Creek watershed. The study will evaluate forest conditions, weather patterns, and climate change projections up to 2060, focusing on how a severe fire could impact water quality, streamflows, and reservoir inflow timing.
The research aims to determine where forest management practices such as thinning, harvesting, and prescribed burning can reduce wildfire risks. However, Bourbonnais highlighted the need to balance these mitigation measures with considerations for hydrology. The project, funded by the Columbia Basin Trust and the city, is anticipated to span two years and will provide valuable insights for future wildfire preparedness efforts in Kimberley and beyond.
Taking a proactive approach, Bourbonnais stressed that the potential risks of inaction outweigh the benefits of being proactive in safeguarding water supplies from the impacts of wildfires.
(Photo credits: Vietnam Independent)
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