After an extensive funding search spanning 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 originated from concerns raised during the 2018 Meachen Creek fire regarding the susceptibility of local water sources.
Mathieu Bourbonnais, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan and co-director of the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, emphasized that people often take their access to drinking water for granted. He highlighted the critical link between environmental systems and the provision of clean water, noting that wildfires are altering the behavior of these systems.
Kimberley draws its drinking water from the Mark Creek and Matthew Creek watersheds. The project’s objective is to identify potential risks posed by severe wildfires and develop strategies to mitigate these risks without compromising the city’s water supply.
The recent Matthew Creek wildfire, which prompted an evacuation alert for Kimberley, underscored the immediate threats facing the city’s watersheds. Despite this, wildland fire ecologist Bob Gray stated that the fire’s impact on water movement in the watershed is anticipated to be minimal, with more severe burning occurring in limited, higher-altitude areas.
Looking ahead, Bourbonnais’s research team at UBC Okanagan, in collaboration with the city and Gray, will simulate potential fire behavior in the Mark Creek watershed. The study will analyze forest conditions, weather patterns, and climate change projections up to 2060, assessing the potential effects of a severe fire on water quality, streamflows, and reservoir water inflow timing.
The research aims to inform targeted wildfire mitigation efforts, including forest thinning and prescribed burning, while considering the delicate balance between reducing fire risks and preserving water resources. The project, funded by the Columbia Basin Trust and the city, is expected to span two years and produce valuable insights to guide future wildfire mitigation strategies for Kimberley and other communities.
Bourbonnais stressed the importance of proactive measures, stating that the consequences of inaction outweigh the risks associated with preemptive planning.