The City of Kimberley has successfully secured $400,000 after an almost eight-year endeavor to investigate the potential impact of wildfires on its drinking water supply. This initiative stemmed from concerns raised during the 2018 Meachen Creek fire regarding 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 significance of understanding the reliance on the environment for drinking water, particularly in light of changing wildfire dynamics.
Kimberley draws its drinking water from the Mark Creek and Matthew Creek watersheds. The project’s objective is to assess the risks posed by severe wildfires and develop strategies to mitigate these risks without compromising the water supply.
The recent Matthew Creek wildfire, which prompted an evacuation alert for the entire city, reignited concerns about the vulnerability of Kimberley’s watersheds. Despite assurances from wildland fire ecologist Bob Gray that the recent fire’s impact on water movement is minimal, the potential consequences of a more severe wildfire on the city’s water supply remain a cause for concern.
Looking ahead, Bourbonnais’s team at UBC Okanagan is collaborating with the city and Gray to forecast fire behavior in the Mark Creek watershed. The research will analyze forest conditions, climate projections up to 2060, and the potential effects of a severe fire on water quality and streamflows.
The study aims to identify areas where forest management practices such as thinning and prescribed burning can reduce wildfire risks. However, Bourbonnais stressed the importance of balancing these mitigation efforts with safeguarding hydrological systems to prevent adverse impacts on water resources.
Ultimately, the research findings will inform future wildfire mitigation strategies and provide valuable planning resources for other communities. The project, funded by the Columbia Basin Trust and the city, is anticipated to span two years, with the objective of proactively addressing the risks posed by wildfires on drinking water supplies.