(file photo/Vernon Matters Staff)

By Liam Verster

'Missed Opportunity to Build Water Security'

Concerns raised about lack of water protection investments in B.C. Budget

Mar 5, 2025 | 12:30 PM

An organization representing freshwater stakeholders has raised issues with B.C.’s budget.

The B.C. Watershed Security Coalition, made up of 56 organizations including the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), stated B.C. “missed a vital opportunity to build water security” with a lack of investments in proactive management and community-driven efforts to protect water sources.

It noted freshwater was becoming increasingly scarce, and ensuring the sources are managed properly will be crucial to the province’s economic future.

“Amid the turmoil of tariffs, we can’t afford to take our water security for granted. Water fuels our economy and sustains our communities. This is a critical time to stand up for Canada’s most precious natural resource and send a strong message to the U.S. President: there is no faucet to turn on in B.C.,” Coree Tull, Chair of the B.C. Watershed Security Coalition, said.

“Unfortunately, Budget 2025 fails to invest in B.C.’s watershed workforce, our front line workers safeguarding and restoring B.C.’s freshwater sources. B.C. has seen an 80 per cent drop in funding for watershed work over the past year, putting jobs and communities at risk, and leaving B.C.’s economy vulnerable to the rapidly rising costs of floods, droughts and wildfires.”

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The Coalition stated work to keep B.C.’s watersheds healthy support more than 47,000 jobs across numerous sectors from energy to housing and from tourism to agriculture. It also stated investing in freshwater protection jobs would ensure drinking water is managed, flood risks are mitigated, food security is supported, and that secure and resilient communities can be created and thrive.

“Interconnected watershed challenges — such as wildfires, droughts, floods, invasive mussels, and the growing demand for new housing — require a collaborative approach involving local, provincial, and First Nation governments,” Blair Ireland, chair of the OBWB and mayor of Lake Country, stated.

“Adequate funding for watershed security is not just essential for implementing proactive, community-driven solutions; it also helps to avoid costly crises that strain public resources. Moreover, investing in watershed security will support the economic growth the province needs, creating opportunities for sustainable development while ensuring a resilient and prosperous future for all British Columbians.”

The Coalition added recent poling showed 64 per cent of British Columbians feared watershed scarcity, and 86 per cent of respondents supported funding for training and employing workers to monitor, restore and manage freshwater sources.

The province’s fiscal year estimates showed operating costs for resource stewardship purposes, including water management and invasive species protection efforts, was estimated at $37.76-million for the 2025/26 fiscal year. That was up slightly from the $37.55-million allocated to that operational purpose the year prior.