Okanagan Waterwise: Local Government User Guide

1. Local
Government
User
Guide
Okanagan
Water
Supply
and
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

2.
Local
Government
User
Guide
to
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
and
Demand
Project
©
2011
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
Project
Manager:
Anna
Warwick
Sears,
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
Technical
Writer:
Jillian
Tamblyn
Editing
&
Layout:
Webwoman
Communications
All
correspondence
with
respect
to
this
User
Guide
should
be
directed
to:
Anna
Warwick
Sears
Executive
Director
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
1450
KLO
Road
Kelowna,
BC
V1W
3Z4
E-­‐mail:
anna.warwick.sears@obwb.ca
Phone:
250.469.6251
Fax:
250.762.7011
Web:
www.obwb.ca
The
information
provided
in
this
document
is
offered
as
a
public
service.
As
a
result,
the
information
in
this
Local
Government
User
Guide
is
general
in
nature
and
should
not
be
relied
upon
as
specific
advice
for
responding
to
particular
circumstances.
Local
governments,
and
other
authorities,
should
consider
the
appropriateness
of
the
suggestions
in
this
guide
and
adapt
them
to
suit
specific
local
conditions
and
requirements.
Plans
and
bylaws
should
not
be
put
in
place
without
professional
technical
and
legal
advice.
While
information
provided
within
this
document
is
believed
to
be
accurate
at
the
time
of
publication,
the
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
(OBWB)
cannot
confirm
its
currency,
accuracy,
or
completeness,
or
its
applicability
to,
or
suitability
for,
individual
circumstances.
Therefore,
persons
using
this
guide
should
take
steps
to
independently
verify
the
information.
The
guide
contains
links
to
web
sites
of
other
organizations.
The
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
does
not
control
these
websites
and
therefore
cannot
confirm
the
information
provided.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
2
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project

3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The
Local
Government
User
Guide
to
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
is
a
project
of
the
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
(OBWB)
with
federal
funding
support
through
Natural
Resources
Canada’s
Regional
Adaptation
Collaborative
(RAC)
Program.
The
RAC
Program
enables
Canadians
to
be
better
prepared
to
adapt
to
changes
in
the
climate
by
providing
them
with
adaptation
knowledge,
tools,
networks
and
other
resources.
The
RAC
Program
is
a
partnership
initiative
that
addresses
regional
adaptation
priorities,
constituting
a
Canada-­‐wide
network
with
the
overarching
goal
of
accelerating
adaptation
at
the
national
scale.
Through
the
collaborative
efforts
of
over
120
partners,
including
all
levels
of
government,
academia,
non-­‐
governmental
organizations
and
the
private
sector,
the
RAC
Program
is
designed
to
promote
and
advance
integration
of
adaptation
considerations
into
decision-­‐making
to
help
Canadians
reduce
the
risks
and
embrace
the
opportunities
resulting
from
climate
change.
Some
areas
of
focus
include
decreases
in
water
supply
and
changes
to
timing
of
water
availability,
reduced
volume
and
duration
of
snow
cover,
and
increased
droughts
and
flooding.
Project
Manager:
Anna
Warwick
Sears,
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
Special
Thanks:
• Brian
Guy
and
Drew
Lejbak,
Summit
Environmental
Consultants
Inc.
• Denise
Neilsen,
Agriculture
and
Agri-­‐Food
Canada
• Don
Dobson,
Urban
Systems
Ltd.
• Ron
Fretwell,
RHF
Systems
Ltd.
• Ted
van
der
Gulik,
BC
Ministry
of
Agriculture
The
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
is
a
partnership
of
the
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
and
the
BC
Ministry
of
Environment.
Other
partners:
BC
Ministry
of
Community,
Sport
&
Cultural
Development
BC
Ministry
of
Agriculture
Environment
Canada
Agriculture
and
Agri-­‐Food
Canada
Fisheries
and
Oceans
Canada
Okanagan
Nation
Alliance
University
of
British
Columbia
Simon
Fraser
University
University
of
Lethbridge
BC
Agriculture
Council
Water
Supply
Association
of
BC
Local
Government
Users
Guide
3
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project

4.
Table
of
Contents
PART
I
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................. 7
Why
Study
the
Okanagan
Basin? ........................................................................................................................................7
Adapting
to
Climate
Change ...............................................................................................................................................7
What
is
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project? ..................................................................................................8
Project
Timeline
and
Next
Steps .........................................................................................................................................8
Project
Tools
and
Data ........................................................................................................................................................8
PART
II
KEY
FINDINGS................................................................................................................................. 10
PART
III
IMPLICATIONS
FOR
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT...................................................................................... 13
What
Do
the
Results
of
this
Project
Mean
for
Local
Governments
in
the
Okanagan? .....................................................13
Modernizing
British
Columbia’s
Water
Act .......................................................................................................................13
Considerations
in
Accessing
Information..........................................................................................................................14
PART
IV
ACCESS
POINTS .............................................................................................................................. 16
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
Website
-­‐
www.obwb.ca/wsd.................................................................16
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Viewer
–
www.obwb.ca/wsd ..............................................................................16
Okanagan
Water
Science
Library
–
www.obwb.ca/wsd...............................................................................................17
Okanagan
WaterWise
-­‐
www.okwaterwise.ca.............................................................................................................17
Streamlined
Water
Use
Reporting
Tool
–
www.obwb.ca/swurt...................................................................................17
Okanagan
Water
Database
-­‐
db.okanaganwater.ca....................................................................................................18
PART
V
MINING
THE
DATA ......................................................................................................................... 20
How
Should
Local
Governments
Use
This
Data? ..............................................................................................................20
Local
Government
Questions
and
Considerations............................................................................................................21
Water
Management
and
Land
Use
Planning................................................................................................................21
Agricultural
Area
Plans .................................................................................................................................................21
Official
Community
Plans..............................................................................................................................................23
Amendments
to
Official
Community
Plans
or
Zoning
Bylaws .......................................................................................24
Regional
Growth
Strategies ..........................................................................................................................................24
Subdivision
and
Servicing
Bylaws..................................................................................................................................25
Water
Services ..............................................................................................................................................................26
Infrastructure................................................................................................................................................................27
Parks
/
Facility
Management........................................................................................................................................28
Stream
Health
Restoration
Initiatives...........................................................................................................................28
PART
VI
MORE
ABOUT
DATA
AND
MODELS................................................................................................ 30
Figure
1
–
Project
Overview
(Phase
2) ..........................................................................................................................30
CLIMATE ............................................................................................................................................................................31
WATER
SUPPLY..................................................................................................................................................................32
Hydrology
Model ..........................................................................................................................................................32
Groundwater
Study.......................................................................................................................................................33
Figure
2
-­‐
Aquifers
at
Risk
in
the
Okanagan..................................................................................................................34
Surface
Water
Hydrology
Study....................................................................................................................................36
Figure
3
–
Surface
Water
Sub-­‐Basins
of
the
Okanagan ................................................................................................37
Instream
Flow
Needs
Study...........................................................................................................................................38
WATER
DEMAND...............................................................................................................................................................40
Okanagan
Water
Demand
Model.................................................................................................................................40
Water
Management
and
Use
Studies...........................................................................................................................40
Figure
4
–
Water
Use
Areas
in
the
Okanagan
Basin .....................................................................................................41
OKANAGAN
BASIN
WATER
ACCOUNTING
MODEL............................................................................................................43
SCENARIOS ........................................................................................................................................................................43
Local
Government
Users
Guide
4
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project

5. RESOURCES .................................................................................................................................................... 46
ONLINE
RESOURCES ....................................................................................................................................... 46
GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................................... 47
SOURCES ........................................................................................................................................................ 49
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................................... 50
LIST
OF
FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................. 52
1.
Uses
of
Water........................................................................................................................................................10
2.
Sources
of
Water ...................................................................................................................................................10
3.
Per
Capita
Domestic
Water
Use ............................................................................................................................10
4.
Where
Incoming
Precipitation
Goes......................................................................................................................11
5.
Replenishment
of
Okanagan
Lake.........................................................................................................................13
6.
Figure
1
-­‐
Interactions
between
Phase
2
Technical
Studies
and
Models
..............................................................30
7.
Figure
2
–
Aquifers
in
the
Okanagan
....................................................................................................................34
8.
Okanagan
Lake
–
Average
Annual
Water
Balance
...............................................................................................35
9.
Figure
3
-­‐
Surface
Water
Sub-­‐basins
of
the
Okanagan
.........................................................................................37
10.
Figure
4
-­‐
Water
Use
Areas
in
the
Okanagan
Basin
..............................................................................................41
Local
Government
Users
Guide
5
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project

6.
Part
I
Introduction
Local
Government
Users
Guide
6
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

7.
PART
I
INTRODUCTION
This
User
Guide
outlines
how
to
access
current
and
future
water
supply
and
demand
information
to
support
What
is
the
effective
decision-­‐making
in
the
Okanagan
Basin.
Okanagan
Basin?
The
Okanagan
watershed,
or
How
to
Use
This
Guide:
basin,
is
a
narrow
strip
that
spans
• An
overview
of
the
Project,
data
and
models
is
from
Armstrong
to
the
US
border
and
includes
five
main
lakes
–
provided
in
Part
I,
Introduction.
Okanagan,
Kalamalka-­‐Wood,
• Discover
the
Project’s
key
findings
in
Part
II.
Skaha,
Vaseux
and
Osoyoos
–
and
surrounding
mountains.
• Find
out
what
the
Project’s
results
mean
for
local
government
in
Part
III,
Implications.
A
river
basin
or
watershed
is
high
at
its
edges
and
low
in
the
centre
• Learn
how
to
access
Project
data,
web
tools
and
models
in
Part
IV,
where
the
waters
flow.
The
Access
Points.
Okanagan
Basin
includes
all
the
• See
how
the
Project’s
climate,
land
use,
water
data,
and
models
land
that
feeds
water
to
our
big
lakes.
Kelowna,
Vernon,
can
be
used
to
answer
local
government
questions
in
Part
V,
Penticton
and
Osoyoos
all
lie
Mining
the
Data.
within
the
Okanagan
Basin.
• Read
more
about
available
tools,
models
and
data
in
Part
VI.
The
Okanagan
Basin
is
almost
2
200
km
in
length
and
8,000
km
in
area.
Why
Study
the
Okanagan
Basin?
The
Okanagan
has
the
lowest
per
person
water
supply
in
Canada
and
Where
does
water
from
the
highest
per
person
water
use,
with
a
growing
population
that
is
the
Okanagan
Basin
go?
vulnerable
to
climate
change.
Our
economy,
and
in
particular,
major
The
Okanagan
River
drains
the
industries
such
as
agriculture
and
tourism,
depend
on
the
health
of
our
lakes
and
flows
south
across
the
International
Boundary
to
join
water
resources.
the
Columbia
River,
which
then
flows
past
the
city
of
Portland
to
The
last
comprehensive
water
assessment
in
the
Okanagan
was
the
Pacific
Ocean.
completed
in
1974.
Since
then,
population
growth
has
outstripped
all
predictions
and
our
water
management
technologies
have
greatly
State
of
the
Basin:
improved.
Supply
and
demand
in
the
Okanagan
Basin
was
last
assessed
in
1974.
Adapting
to
Climate
Change
Many
streams
are
now
fully
Weather
in
the
Okanagan
is
known
to
be
arid
and
variable.
Climate
allocated,
and
users
are
moving
change
is
expected
to
result
in
warmer
winters,
lower
snow
pack
and
to
groundwater.
earlier
spring
runoff.
Longer
and
drier
growing
seasons
with
warmer
Increasing
water
licence
requests
temperatures
and
lower
rainfall
will
increase
agricultural
and
underscore
the
need
for
a
valley-­‐
landscaping
water
demand.
wide
approach
to
water
management.
Adaptation
to
these
changing
conditions,
founded
on
science
and
best
management
practices,
must
occur.
Local
governments
in
the
The
Okanagan
has
the
lowest
per
person
water
supply
in
Canada.
Okanagan
must
build
capacity
for
climate
change
adaptation,
and
work
together
with
other
local
governments,
agencies
and
stakeholders
to
The
average
Okanagan
resident
develop
new
water
conservation
and
management
regimes
uses
675
litres
of
water
per
day,
throughout
the
basin.
more
than
double
the
Canadian
average.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
7
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

8.
What
is
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project?
The
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
The
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project,
or
Project,
is
one
of
Demand
Project
is
state
of
the
the
most
advanced
water
resource
assessments
ever
conducted
in
art
in
Canada,
and
is
a
pilot
for
Canada,
using
the
latest
models
and
computer
technology
to
estimate
other
water-­‐stressed
areas
of
British
Columbia.
Okanagan
water
availability,
taking
into
account
climate
change
and
population
growth.
The
Project
includes
studies
on
groundwater,
stream-­‐flows,
A
best
estimate
of
environmental
water
needs,
and
water
use
–
balancing
water
supplies
current
and
future
and
water
demands
through
a
computer
accounting
model.
water
supply
and
demand
in
the
Okanagan.
The
Project
models
help
us
understand
patterns
of
water
use
and
the
potential
impacts
of
population
growth,
climate
change,
land
use
and
The
Okanagan
Basin
water
the
environment.
Updated
regularly,
these
models
are
essential
tools
regime
-­‐
hydrology,
actual
water
use,
groundwater,
lake
for
sustainability
planning.
evaporation
and
instream
flow
requirements
-­‐
is
assessed
using
The
Project
is
seeking
answers
to
these
questions:
Hydrology
and
Demand
Models,
• Is
our
water
over-­‐allocated?
which
feed
into
a
Water
• How
do
we
protect
groundwater?
Accounting
Model
that
calculates
the
water
balance
for
• How
will
we
share
during
shortages?
the
basin
at
81
points
in
the
• How
do
we
reduce
risks
to
water
quality?
valley.
• How
can
we
be
more
water
efficient?
• How
much
water
do
we
have?
Examine
supply
and
• What
does
the
future
hold?
demand
patterns
in
specific
areas
of
the
Project
Timeline
and
Next
Steps
watershed,
or
assess
Phase
1
(2005)
identified
available
data
and
information.
Technical
basin-­‐wide
trends.
studies
conducted
in
Phase
2
(initiated
2007)
led
to
the
development
of
an
Okanagan
water
budget,
or
model,
and
future
scenarios
for
use
by
local
governments
for
planning,
and
by
the
Province
of
BC
for
water
The
Demand
Model
developed
management.
by
this
project
has
been
reproduced
in
the
Similkameen,
Nicola,
and
Lower
Fraser
valleys
Project
results
to
date
indicate
a
need
for
more
careful
management
and
received
a
Premier’s
Award
and
choices
about
development,
the
future
of
agriculture,
and
for
Innovation.
environmental
protection.
Okanagan
local
governments
As
these
choices
require
informed
input
from
multiple
decision-­‐makers
have
already
begun
using
the
and
stakeholders,
Phase
3
(2010)
focuses
on
making
data
and
models
and
data
to
inform
information
available,
on
refining
modeling
tools,
and
on
consultation
regional
growth
strategies
and
and
policy
development.
It
paves
the
way
for
updates
by
collecting
planning.
data
on
critical
elements
such
as
lake
evaporation
and
groundwater.
Phase
3
ensures
that
the
work
of
Phase
2
is
put
to
best
use
for
planning,
adaptation,
education,
and
improved
management.
Access
all
project
tools,
Project
Tools
and
Data
reports
and
data
at
Learn
more
about
available
tools
and
data
in
Part
VI.
The
access
point
for
all
tools,
reports
and
data
produced
by
the
Project
is
the
Okanagan
www.obwb.ca/wsd
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
website
at
www.obwb.ca/wsd.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
8
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

9.
Part
II
Key
Findings
Local
Government
Users
Guide
9
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

10.
PART
II
KEY
FINDINGS
• Risks
of
water
shortages
for
human
use
and
1
Uses
of
Water
environmental
needs
are
increasing,
and
it
will
only
be
possible
to
compensate
through
thoughtful
design
and
implementation
of
policies,
including
local
government
drought
management
plans,
to
address
land-­‐use
planning,
careful
water
management
including
supply,
and
demand
reduction.
Coordinated
plans
may
be
required
for
the
basin
as
a
whole.
• Future
shortages
are
likely
to
occur
in
late
summer,
when
low
seasonal
water
supplies
from
surface
sources
are
projected
to
drop
by
as
much
as
65%
from
2041
to
2070,
and
demands
for
water
withdrawals
and
ecosystem
needs
are
high
and
increasing.
Local
governments
can
consider
this
for
water
supply
and
demand
planning.
Sources
of
Water
• High
variability
in
water
supply
and
demand
–
seasonally,
from
year-­‐to-­‐year,
and
in
different
geographic
areas,
should
be
considered
in
decision-­‐making.
• Groundwater
is
an
increasingly
important
source
of
water
for
human
needs,
yet
is
under-­‐regulated.
Our
knowledge
of
supply
potential,
aquifer
health,
and
of
the
actual
amount
of
groundwater
use
is
poor.
Groundwater
and
surface
water
are
connected
and
should
be
managed
as
the
same
pool.
Groundwater
should
be
permitted
or
licensed
within
the
same
allocation
system
used
for
surface
water.
• Per
capita
domestic
water
use
in
the
Okanagan
is
extremely
Per
Capita
Domestic
Water
Use
high
compared
to
national
and
international
use,
primarily
due
to
domestic
outdoor
water
use,
which
accounts
for
24%
of
all
the
water
used
in
the
Okanagan.
Action
is
needed
to
reduce
use
through
proven
conservation
measures,
which
tend
to
cost
less
than
measures
to
increase
supply.
Local
governments
can
implement
measures
through
bylaws
and
incentives.
• About
95%
of
the
water
licensed
for
offstream
use
is
managed
by
57
large
water
suppliers
in
the
basin.
Local
governments,
Bands
and
purveyors
on
this
list
of
suppliers
can
have
a
large
impact
on
water
use.
1.
Agriculture
uses
55%
of
water
in
the
Okanagan.
This
percentage
does
not
include
farms
equipped
with
irrigation
systems
that
are
not
currently
irrigating
and
therefore
does
not
reflect
the
total
potential
amount
of
water
committed
to
agriculture
in
the
Okanagan.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
10
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

11.
• Measurement
and
record-­‐keeping
of
bulk
water
withdrawals
by
major
water
suppliers
and
large
individual
licencees
has
not
been
standardized
and
is
patchy
and
inconsistent,
and
coordinated
record
keeping
is
needed.
Water
purveyors
can
now
report
use
with
the
Streamlined
Water
Use
Reporting
Tool
(See
Part
IV
-­‐
Access
Points,
Page
16).
Where
Incoming
Precipitation
Goes
• 80%
of
incoming
precipitation
is
lost
to
evapotranspiration
from
plants
and
evaporation
from
lake
surfaces.
Only
13%
contributes
to
surface
flows
and
7%
to
groundwater
recharge.
• Stream
flows
must
be
measured
for
best
management.
However,
within
the
last
decade,
the
network
of
hydrologic
stations
has
been
reduced
to
about
half
of
historical
levels,
and
the
network
must
be
strategically
redesigned
and
restored.
• As
a
result
of
continuing
climate
change,
more
winter
precipitation
will
fall
as
rain
and
high
elevation
snowpacks
will
melt
several
weeks
sooner.
This
increases
the
importance
of
upland
reservoir
storage
and
the
difficulty
of
managing
supplies.
• In
a
future
three-­‐year
drought,
average
annual
net
inflows
to
Okanagan
Lake
are
expected
to
be
roughly
half
of
average
values
today.
Assuming
such
a
scenario
with
current
operating
procedures,
Okanagan
Lake
levels
would
progressively
decline
to
below
normal
operating
ranges,
and
could
affect
the
ability
to
keep
water
flowing
in
Okanagan
River,
which
can
affect
water
intakes.
• Due
to
climate
change
alone
(ignoring
population
growth
or
addition
of
irrigated
land),
the
level
of
Okanagan
Lake
is
expected
to
drop
below
its
historic
minimum
several
times
over
the
next
30
years.
This
can
impact
recreation
and
infrastructure.
• Current
water
licence
volumes
may
not
be
available
or
sufficient
to
satisfy
demands
on
some
streams
in
future,
particularly
on
those
with
limited
or
no
storage.
• The
models
are
based
on
available
scientific
and
water
management
information;
however,
the
quality
of
that
information
is
variable,
and
in
some
areas
additional
data
and
information
should
be
obtained
on
surface
water,
groundwater,
climate,
water
withdrawals
and
distribution,
aquatic
ecosystem
needs,
lake
evaporation,
and
evapotranspiration.
Visualize
project
results
with
the
Viewer
at
www.okanaganwater.ca
Local
Government
Users
Guide
11
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

12.
Part
III
Implications
for
Local
Government
Local
Government
Users
Guide
12
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

13.
PART
III
IMPLICATIONS
FOR
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
What
Do
the
Results
of
this
Did
You
Know?
Project
Mean
for
Local
th
Only
about
1/60
of
the
volume
of
Okanagan
Lake
is
refreshed
Governments
in
the
each
year.
Reduced
inflows
or
increased
withdrawals
in
the
watershed
could
cause
drawdown
of
the
lake.
Okanagan?
Local
governments
make
important
planning,
infrastructure
development
and
operational
decisions
every
day.
Many
Okanagan
local
governments
manage
one
or
more
water
utilities.
Changing
climatic
conditions
will
challenge
our
resilience
and
our
ability
to
adapt.
How
do
we
ensure
adequate
risk
management
in
a
time
of
change
and
uncertainty?
How
do
we
know
what
the
future
will
bring?
Only
the
upper
1.5
metres
of
Okanagan
Lake
is
replenished
each
year.
If
What
will
be
the
impacts
of
climate
more
water
is
withdrawn,
lake
levels
will
fall.
(Turner
et.
al,
2006).
change
and
population
growth,
and
how
will
we
adapt?
Climate
change
is
predicted
to
strongly
impact
our
water
supplies.
Paleo-­‐ecological
studies
show
that
the
20th
century
was
the
wettest
of
the
last
4,000
years.
As
the
Earth
warms,
the
frequency
and
intensity
of
extreme
weather
events
is
expected
to
increase.
What
type
of
weather
abnormalities
and
unseasonal
events
will
we
face
in
the
future?
The
results
of
this
Project
reinforce
the
need
for:
• Water
conservation
programs
and
bylaws
to
reduce
demand,
with
a
particular
emphasis
on
reducing
outdoor
use,
including
but
not
limited
to
water
metering,
water
reduction
incentives,
drought-­‐tolerant
landscaping,
and
efficient
irrigation
practices.
• Drought
response
plans
to
reduce
the
impacts
of
shortages
on
water
users,
including
the
environment.
• Increased
reservoir
storage
in
upland
reservoirs,
and
through
management
of
mainstem
lakes.
• Increased
collaboration
with
watershed
managers
and
water
suppliers
throughout
the
basin.
Modernizing
British
Columbia’s
Water
Act
The
results
of
this
Project
are
also
informing
the
modernization
of
BC’s
Water
Act.
The
Okanagan
Water
Supply
and
Demand
Project
Working
Group,
the
multi-­‐agency
body
overseeing
the
Project,
has
submitted
a
list
of
recommendations
for
Water
Act
Modernization
to
the
Province,
including:
• Improved
measurement
and
reporting
of
surface
and
groundwater
use
• A
mechanism
for
the
licensing
of
groundwater
• Protection
of
upland
reservoirs
• Regulatory
incentives
for
improvements
in
water
use
efficiency
for
all
sectors
• Recognition
of
regional
differences
–
i.e.
one
size
does
not
fit
all.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
13
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

14.
• Water
allocation
decisions
to
consider
water
availability,
including
the
potential
for
drought,
variability
or
climate
change,
a
watershed
review
of
existing
licences,
and
environmental
needs.
Considerations
in
Accessing
Information
With
so
much
information
available
from
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project,
it
may
be
difficult
to
know
where
to
start.
A
local
government
will
benefit
from
taking
the
time
to
scope
its
needs.
Consider
these
relevant
questions:
• What
do
we
already
know
about
actual
or
estimated
water
supply,
demand
and
delivery
in
our
area?
• What
are
our
goals
and
objectives?
• What
questions
do
we
need
answered
about
water
supply
or
demand,
today
and
in
the
future?
• Is
this
an
operational
or
a
planning
decision?
• What
can
we
learn
by
looking
at
past,
present
and
future
scenarios?
• What
is
our
study
area
and
how
is
it
defined
in
relation
to
the
water
sub-­‐units
used
in
this
Project
(e.g.
aquifers,
water
use
areas,
sub-­‐basins)?
• What
is
the
time
period
or
scale
–
seasonal
or
annual,
present
or
future?
• What
risk
factors
are
we
considering,
and
what
level
of
confidence
is
needed
in
the
data?
• What
existing
or
recent
data
can
our
local
government
provide
to
calibrate,
improve
or
supplement
the
results
of
the
Project?
• Can
we
perform
additional
studies
to
improve
the
model
in
our
geographic
area
to
meet
the
required
level
of
confidence
(e.g.
by
incorporating
purveyor
actual
water
use
data
or
current
land
use)?
Local
governments
should
keep
in
mind
that:
• Some
models
provide
more
detailed
data
than
others.
The
Demand
Model
provides
estimates
at
the
scale
of
individual
properties.
The
Hydrology
and
Water
Accounting
Models
are
more
appropriate
for
examining
larger
geographic
areas,
such
as
the
entire
area
of
the
basin,
sub-­‐basins,
stream
systems,
drainages
or
water
use
areas.
Data
continues
to
be
gathered
to
improve
the
Models.
• Scenarios
that
examine
proposed
changes
or
activities
in
only
one
To
address
this
part
of
the
watershed
may
be
too
limited
in
scope.
Other
activities
information
gap,
the
occurring
upstream
or
downstream
may
mitigate
or
compound
these
Hydrological
proposed
changes.
For
example,
when
considering
the
potential
Connectivity
Project
will
impacts
of
a
specific
large
housing
development
in
one
water
use
examine
licence
area,
the
model
will
not
reflect
the
impact
of
up-­‐
or
down-­‐stream
priorities,
i.e.
who
has
rights
to
the
water,
and
developments.
how
water
use
in
one
• Supply
scenarios
for
lake
water
availability
are
less
complex
than
area
affects
another.
those
for
tributary
streams.
Decision-­‐making
in
tributaries
can
be
more
difficult.
• Phase
2
examined
BASIN-­‐WIDE
scenarios,
but
local
governments
may
request
SPECIFIC
scenarios
based
on
their
geographical
area,
land
use
cases,
or
other
assumptions.
Submit
a
Data
Request
online
at
db.okanaganwater.ca
or
contact
the
OBWB
for
more
information.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
14
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

15.
Part
IV
Access
Points
Local
Government
Users
Guide
15
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

16.
PART
IV
ACCESS
POINTS
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
Website
-­‐
www.obwb.ca/wsd
The
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
website
is
the
main
access
point
for
all
tools,
reports
and
data
produced
by
the
Project.
Visit
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
(WSD)
website
to
find
out
more
about
the
Project,
and
to
access:
• Project
Updates
• Phase
2
Project
Summary
Report,
Maps
&
Appendices
• Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Viewer
• Okanagan
Water
Science
Library
• Okanagan
WaterWise
• Okanagan
Water
Database
www.obwb.ca/wsd
Access
the
WSD
website
at
www.obwb.ca/wsd
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Viewer
–
www.obwb.ca/wsd
The
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Viewer
is
a
web-­‐based
tool
that
displays
interactive
maps
of
water
sources,
water
use,
and
other
results
of
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
in
a
user-­‐friendly
format.
The
Viewer
provides
graphical
and
statistical
information
about
the
current
state
of
water
supply
and
demand
at
various
locations
in
the
Okanagan
Okanagan
valley,
and
examines
the
likely
future
influences
of
Water Supply & Demand
population
growth,
climate
change,
land
use,
and
other
factors.
Viewer
Available
comparative
scenarios
include:
• Population
Growth:
The
expected
rate
versus
a
higher
rate.
• Agricultural
Conditions:
The
current
amount
of
land
under
cultivation
versus
a
larger
area
that
includes
all
reasonably
irrigable
land.
• Water
Use
Efficiency:
Current
trends
versus
the
Provincial
guideline
of
achieving
33%
efficiency
improvements
by
2020.
Additionally,
one
of
the
scenarios
simulates
the
effects
of
a
three-­‐
year
drought,
similar
to
the
historically
significant
Okanagan
drought
of
1929-­‐1931.
The
Viewer
is
available
from
every
page
of
the
WSD
website
at
www.obwb.ca/wsd
or
access
the
Viewer
directly
at
www.okanaganwater.ca.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
16
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

17.
Okanagan
Water
Science
Library
–
www.obwb.ca/wsd
The
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Resource
Information
Database
(OBWRID)
is
a
fully
searchable
digital
document
database,
or
Okanagan
Water
Science
Library,
of
water-­‐related
information
compiled,
studied
and
acquired
about
the
Okanagan
Basin.
Try
a
simple
Keyword
Search,
Browse
by
Topic,
or
perform
an
Advanced
Search
by
specifying
parameters
such
as
date,
author,
subject,
keyword,
watershed,
surface
or
groundwater.
The
Okanagan
Water
Science
Library
is
the
largest
electronic
repository
of
current
and
historical
information
about
the
Okanagan
Basin,
and
is
the
only
digital
source
for
many
Okanagan
water
documents
and
reports.
Links
to
downloadable
PDFs
are
provided
for
most
entries.
The
Okanagan
Water
Science
Library
is
searchable
from
every
page
of
the
WSD
website
at
www.obwb.ca/wsd
or
access
the
Advanced
Search
page
directly
at
www.obwb.ca/obwrid.
Okanagan
WaterWise
-­‐
www.okwaterwise.ca
Okanagan
WaterWise
is
an
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
outreach
initiative
that
encourages
conserving
&
protecting
the
Okanagan’s
most
valuable
natural
resource
-­‐
water.
This
educational
web
site
features
water
conservation
tips
and
information
for
homes,
businesses
and
schools,
and
addresses
both
indoor
and
outdoor
water
use.
The
Okanagan
WaterWise
website
is
accessible
from
every
page
of
the
WSD
website
at
www.obwb.ca/wsd
or
access
the
site
directly
at
www.okwaterwise.ca.
Streamlined
Water
Use
Reporting
Tool
–
www.obwb.ca/swurt
The
Streamlined
Water
Use
Reporting
Tool
(SWURT)
is
targeted
to
water
purveyors
and
other
large
water
users.
This
graphical
tool
summarizes
current
and
future
water
availability
in
the
valley
–
taking
into
account
population,
climate,
and
land
use.
Water
purveyors
can
use
this
tool
to
track
surface
and
groundwater
use
and
storage,
and
to
access
current
and
historical
information,
including
snowpack
depths,
reservoir
levels,
stream-­‐flows,
and
weather.
SWURT
is
accessible
only
to
registered
users
–
please
contact
the
OBWB
for
more
information.
“The
SWURT
tool
will
allow
utilities
to
provide
current
water
use
data
and
access
historic
data
for
trending.
And
just
as
importantly,
we’ll
be
able
to
see
what
other
water
utilities
in
the
valley
are
extracting,
For
more
information
about
SWURT,
helping
us
work
together
and
manage
our
common
water
resource.”
visit
www.obwb.ca/swurt.
–
Bob
Hrasko,
Vice-­‐Chair,
Water
Supply
Association
of
BC
and
Administrator,
Black
Mountain
Irrigation
District
Local
Government
Users
Guide
17
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

18.
Okanagan
Water
Database
-­‐
db.okanaganwater.ca
The
Okanagan
Water
Database
is
the
repository
and
management
tool
for
all
technical
Project
data
and
acts
as
the
data
bridge
between
the
Project
models.
The
primary
function
of
the
database
is
to
host
time
series
and
other
data
produced
by
the
Project’s
technical
studies,
which
include
estimates
of
water
use
throughout
the
basin
from
the
Demand
Model,
supply
information
derived
from
the
Hydrology
Model,
and
the
effects
of
water
management
on
natural
flows
and
lake
levels
as
calculated
by
the
Water
Accounting
Model.
Information
from
the
Okanagan
Water
Database
is
freely
available
through
the
tools
produced
by
the
Project,
most
notably
the
user-­‐friendly
and
interactive
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Viewer.
Data
Requests
&
Uploads
The
Okanagan
Water
Database
is
managed
by
the
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
(OBWB).
Specific
or
‘protected’
data
sets
and
models
may
be
accessed
through
a
Data
Sharing
Agreement.
After
a
local
government
has
determined
its
project
scope
and
parameters,
OBWB
staff
and
contractors
will
assist
in
refining
the
information
request
and
identifying
the
opportunities
and
limitations
of
the
data
and
models.
Visit
db.okanaganwater.ca
to
Submit
a
Data
Request,
or
contact
the
OBWB
for
more
information.
Data
Sharing
Agreement
&
Costs
The
OBWB
will
cover
all
or
a
portion
of
data
retrieval
costs
for
Okanagan
local
governments,
with
the
cost-­‐sharing
formula
to
be
determined
by
the
scale
of
the
request
and
availability
of
funding.
Parties
other
than
local
governments,
or
not
contributing
to
the
Visualize
data
from
the
Okanagan
Water
Project,
will
be
charged
on
a
cost-­‐recovery
basis.
Database
with
the
Viewer
at
www.okanaganwater.ca
For
more
information
on
the
Okanagan
Water
Database:
• Submit
a
Data
Request
online
at
db.okanaganwater.ca
• Contact
the
OBWB:
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
1450
KLO
Road,
Kelowna
BC
V1W
3Z4
Phone:
250-­‐469-­‐6323
Fax:
250-­‐762-­‐7011
info@obwb.ca
Local
Government
Users
Guide
18
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

19.
Part
V
Mining
the
Data
Local
Government
Users
Guide
19
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

20.
PART
V
MINING
THE
DATA
The
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
signifies
a
major
step
How
Researchers
Are
Using
forward
in
our
understanding
of
the
Okanagan
Basin,
making
it
one
of
the
Results
of
the
the
most
water
information-­‐rich
areas
in
British
Columbia.
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
A
number
of
user-­‐friendly
web-­‐based
tools
have
been
developed
to
assist
local
governments
and
other
users
in
understanding,
accessing
and
applying
the
Project’s
results
and
data.
The
main
access
point
for
all
tools,
data
and
models
developed
for
the
Project
is
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
website
at
www.obwb.ca/wsd.
Visit
the
Project
website
at
www.obwb.ca/wsd
to
access
tools
such
Virtual
Water
Use
in
as
the
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Viewer
and
the
Okanagan
the
Okanagan
Water
Science
Library,
and
learn
more
about
each
tool
in
Part
VI
of
Dr.
Hans
Schreier
at
the
this
Guide.
University
of
British
Columbia
used
the
maps
and
water
requirements
of
agricultural
areas,
parks,
and
other
large
turf
How
Should
Local
Governments
Use
This
Data?
areas
to
determine
the
amount
Questions
about
water
supply
and
demand
are
important
to
many
of
of
water
used
to
produce
wine
the
services
that
local
governments
provide.
Generally,
the
Project’s
and
other
local
agricultural
results
indicate
what
is
happening
with
water
in
the
Okanagan
Basin,
products.
This
water
use
can
then
be
compared
to
the
“virtual
and
what
is
expected
to
happen
in
the
future.
water”
that
is
imported
into
the
basin
by
the
import
of
Each
local
government
must
determine
how
best
to
address
these
agricultural
products
that
are
results.
The
models
and
data
used
in
this
Project
can
be
used
in
a
grown
elsewhere.
variety
of
ways
by
local
governments.
Local
governments
may
also
request
specific
datasets
or
scenarios
for
their
particular
geographical
area,
land
use
cases,
or
other
assumptions,
from
the
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
(OBWB).
Staff
and
consultants
of
the
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Board
are
available
to
assist
with
accessing
and
processing
limited
public
access
data.
Keep
in
mind
that
many
of
the
Project’s
components
can
be
used
to
Pollinator
Studies
in
answer
questions
about
current
and
future
scenarios
at
a
variety
of
Okanagan
Agricultural
Areas
Using
the
maps
of
agricultural
scales
-­‐
however,
some
datasets
may
not
be
available
at
the
level
of
areas
developed
by
this
project,
accuracy
or
detail
required
for
your
project,
and
may
only
provide
a
Dr.
Jason
Pither
and
his
research
starting
point
for
further
investigation.
team
at
UBC-­‐Okanagan
are
studying
the
distribution
of
For
example,
a
local
government
may
identify
an
aquifer
that
is
different
crops
and
how
they
sensitive
to
further
development
or
an
expansion
of
agriculture
–
and
may
affect
the
presence
and
abundance
of
different
then
determine
how
to
respond
to
that
information
through
bylaws,
pollinators.
decision-­‐making
or
additional
detailed
studies.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
20
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd

21.
Local
Government
Questions
and
Considerations
Sample
questions
and
considerations
for
local
governments
are
listed
below.
Examples
of
how
Okanagan
local
governments
are
using
the
results
of
the
Project
are
contained
in
the
sidebars.
Water
Management
and
Land
Use
Planning
In
a
water-­‐scarce
region
such
as
the
Okanagan,
local
governments
must
carefully
consider
water
management
and
land-­‐use
planning
to
meet
risks
of
future
water
shortages.
EXAMPLE:
A
growth
area’s
surface
water
is
fully
or
close
to
fully
Land-­‐use
decisions
can
have
long-­‐lasting
impacts
on
a
community.
licensed
and
the
aquifer
has
Once
established,
development
patterns,
travel
corridors,
limited
recharge.
infrastructure,
and
services
usually
remain
on
the
landscape.
RECOMMENDATION:
Planning
tools
and
legislative
plans
used
by
local
governments
must
Prioritize
this
area
for
further
consider
and
take
into
account
local,
as
well
as
basin-­‐wide
water
study
to
determine
the
management,
which
may
be
the
key
to
the
success
of
any
overall
availability
of
water.
initiative.
IMPLEMENTATION:
Although
some
Project
data
may
not
currently
be
available
at
the
Water
availability
information
level
of
detail
required
for
a
local
or
site-­‐specific
plan,
the
Project’s
is
used
to
establish
results
may
be
used
to
flag
areas
of
interest.
In
addition,
local
Development
Permit
Areas
or
governments
may
request
data
for
specific
land-­‐use
cases,
Development
Information
geographical
areas
or
scenarios
from
the
Okanagan
Basin
Water
Areas
for
consideration
of
future
development
Board.
applications.
For
more
information
about
available
Project
data
and
tools,
refer
to
Part
IV,
Access
Points
and
Part
VI,
More
About
Data
and
Tools.
Agricultural
Area
Plans
Agricultural
planning
is
most
likely
to
make
use
of
the
Climate
Data
and
the
Water
Demand
Model.
Current
and
future
supply
data
should
also
be
considered,
especially
if
the
supply
of
surface
or
groundwater
is
limited
in
a
particular
agricultural
area.
The
BC
Ministry
of
Agriculture
uses
Land
Use
Inventories
to
develop
Agricultural
Area
Plans,
and
a
number
of
Okanagan
local
governments
are
currently
working
with
this
information.
Input
data
available
include
crop
types,
soil
textures,
irrigation
systems,
and
climate.
Outputs
include
irrigation
water
demand
(optimal),
climate
moisture
deficits,
crop
evapotranspiration,
and
crop
water
requirements.
Data
is
available
in
some
cases
for
backcasting.
Whereas
forecasting
predicts
the
future
based
on
current
trends,
backcasting
imagines
a
future
successful
outcome
and
then
poses
the
question
“What
do
we
need
to
do
today
to
reach
that
outcome?”.
Backcasting
is
increasingly
used
in
urban
planning
and
resource
management
of
water
and
energy.
In
2006,
the
Capital
Regional
District
committed
to
backcasting
to
the
year
2050
as
a
formal
element
of
all
future
strategic
water
planning
initiatives.
The
Water
Demand
Model
will
supply
the
science
behind
establishing
Agricultural
Water
Reserves,
whose
purpose
is
to
secure
access
to
water
for
lands
within
the
Agricultural
Land
Reserve
(ALR).
Visit
Living
Water
Smart
at
www.livingwatersmart.ca/business/agriculture.html
for
more
information.
Local
Government
Users
Guide
21
Okanagan
Water
Supply
&
Demand
Project
www.obwb.ca/wsd