Duteau Creek watershed at fire risk

Wildfire mitigation work on the Duteau Creek watershed, a major source of drinking water to the Greater Vernon area, doesn’t go far enough for some members of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee (GVAC).

The Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. (FESBC) detailed plans to the committee, to provide fire breaks using existing logging roads, streams, and lakes to create fire breaks. Similar work has taken place already in the Big White/Joe Rich area and is envisioned to protect the Aberdeen Plateau from that area right through to Coldstream.

Mechanical and hand thinning, along with burning forest floor fuels, is proposed with a budget of $146,000 dollars.

“My concern is there is a magnitude gap between what needs to be done and the funding being proposed and a lack of urgency,” Vernon Mayor and GVAC director Victor Cumming said. “If there is catastrophic fire event it would have a significant impact on water quality.”