After nearly eight years of pursuing funding, Kimberley City has successfully secured $400,000 to conduct a study on the potential impact of wildfires on its drinking water supply. The initiative was spurred 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 understanding the connection between drinking water and the environment. He noted that wildfires are altering the behavior of natural systems responsible for providing drinking water, underscoring the need to assess and mitigate associated risks.
Kimberley relies on the Mark Creek and Matthew Creek watersheds for its drinking water supply. A severe wildfire could potentially impact both the quality and availability of drinking water in Kimberley long after the fire has been extinguished. The project’s goal is to identify these risks and develop strategies to mitigate them without compromising the water supply.
The recent Matthew Creek wildfire, which prompted an evacuation alert for the entire city, renewed attention to the vulnerabilities of Kimberley’s watersheds. Wildland fire ecologist Bob Gray explained that while the immediate impact on water movement through the watershed from the fire was limited, the concern lies in the potential effects of a more severe wildfire on the city’s drinking-water sources.
Bourbonnais and his team at UBC Okanagan are collaborating with the city and Gray to model potential fire behavior in the Mark Creek watershed. The research will analyze forest conditions, weather patterns, and climate change projections up to the year 2060. Additionally, the study will investigate how a severe fire could impact water quality, streamflows, and the timing of water entering reservoirs.
Furthermore, the research aims to pinpoint areas where forest thinning, harvesting, and prescribed burning could reduce wildfire risks. Gray emphasized the importance of carefully planning these mitigation measures to avoid negative impacts on water systems. The project, funded in part by the Columbia Basin Trust and the city, is anticipated to span two years. Its findings will inform future wildfire mitigation efforts and offer valuable planning tools for other communities facing similar challenges.
Bourbonnais emphasized the proactive approach to wildfire mitigation, stating that the risks of inaction outweigh the benefits of being proactive in safeguarding water supplies.
