Greater Vernon Water Restrictions

• Background Reports

  Water Shortage Management Review for GVW (2017) - Associated Environmental

  Drought Management Plan Review for GVW (2011) - Clarke Geoscience Ltd.

Did you know?

• Watering at the Right Time

  Watering during the day can lead to significant water loss due to evaporation, meaning less water reaches your plants' roots where it's needed most. To maximize the effectiveness of your watering, aim to water during the coolest parts of the day. The ideal time to water your plants is between 10 PM and 6 AM. This ensures that more water penetrates the soil and reaches the roots.

• Lawns

  Most lawns only need to be watered once or twice a week. Dormancy is a normal part of the grass growth cycle in hot weather. The heat may cause lawns to brown but they will bounce back to their vibrant green in cooler weather.

• Restrictions

  Reservoir levels are one factor in determining a restriction stage (drought), along with weather forecasts and customer demand levels.

  Water use restrictions help minimize water demand spikes – helping to protect our infrastructure from wear and avoiding the cost of building bigger pipes/reservoirs – which is why they are in place year-round. If we enter a drought, more restrictions may be implemented.

  Following the restrictions schedule will help you water efficiently and avoid water waste. Your plants will also become better adapted to our normally dry climate.

• Agricultural Irrigation

  Efficient irrigation helps keep costs down and saves water for times of drought. Visit the Irrigation Association of BC (IIABC) website for access to their irrigation resources and searchable list of certified irrigation professionals. Farmwest.com has useful information including weather forecasts, manure spreading advisories, Pest Degree Days tool, and irrigation guides.  This site also hosts the Agriculture Irrigation Scheduling Calculator, which creates custom irrigation schedules using real-time weather forecasts.

  The BC Ministry of Agriculture website has many resources on irrigation, nutrient management and drainage.  Several fact sheets are available including:

  • 2024 Quick Guide to Drought Resources
  • Irrigation Conservation Tips For Farms
  • Irrigation Management Guide - BC Ministry of Agriculture
  • Irrigation Scheduling
  • Drought Management for Farms

  Provincial Ministry of Agriculture AgriService – free service to respond to agricultural questions on irrigation and other farm activities:
  
  Telephone: 1 888 221-7141