The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations has notified the City of Merritt that in spite of recent rain, the Drought Level in the Nicola region and the Coldwater River Basin is worsening. The Nicola Basin is currently at Level 2 (Dry) and the Coldwater Basin is Level 3 (Very Dry). It is anticipated that conditions will continue to worsen, especially for the Coldwater River, and further watering restrictions are necessary to protect fish populations.
“We understand from the province that drought conditions along the Coldwater River are already fairly severe and that there is significant risk to the fish in that system,” said Mayor Linda Brown. “At the City, we will be looking for opportunities to reduce our water consumption and we encourage our residents to do the same.”
Commencing the week of July 29, 2019, the City of Merritt is implementing further water restrictions, which limits residents to watering a maximum of two days per week. Residents with even numbered addresses are permitted to water on Monday and Friday (Wednesday has been removed) and residents with odd numbered addresses are permitted to water on Tuesday and Saturday. These restrictions will continue until further notice.
For more information about regional and provincial drought levels, please visit the British Columbia Drought Information Portal at the following link:
Merritt is located approximately 200 kilometres northeast of Vancouver in southern B.C.
