The fork just ran away with the spoon, and we are left to eat with our hands… while there is still food to be had. because, see, food is going to be more expensive, and there will be a lot less of it soon enough, until the cow actually jumps over the moon, at which point, we’ll have to figure shit out for real. Because here’s the thing: Vancouver Island is at Level 4 drought conditions. Drought Level 4 means that the areas water supply is insufficient to meet socio-economic and ecological needs. Drought Level 4 is the highest of drought levels. Drought Level 4 is bad. And eerily, there is little conversation about that on the Island. …!!!?
Somewhat relievingly though, Sooke is regionally at Level 2 still, and the Sooke Lake Resevoir is at 82% capacity! Phew! We’re quite fortunate. Though, not so fast. The Sooke watershed is under the jurisdiction of the CRD, not the Sooke region, and Victoria, a big urban centre, is in the CRD. Meaning that the Sooke region does not control the decisions made regarding water use and distribution in the interests of our region’s foodshed, watershed, energyshed, wildlife, local economy, etc. The CRD does. and Victoria has a lot of pretty front lawns. Which are apparently as important in the bigger scheme of things as food production, given that lawnwatering was banned a mere week before farmers were “strongly encouraged” to reduce their water usage by 30%, forcing many farmers in the foodshed region to abandon some of their thirstier crops, food never to make it from their field to your fork. Water use reduction orders have been issued the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, by which all Agricultural Water Licence Holders (who draw water from rivers streams and lakes for food growing purposes) have been asked to “voluntarily reduce water use by 30 percent…a specific action contemplated by the BC Drought Response Plan…to prevent the need for a regulatory response in the near future.” Signed by Larry Barr, Regional Water Manager, West Coast Region. In conjunction with that, the new groundwater regulations coming into effect with the Water Sustainability Act 2016 is concerning as well, as it limits even more, farmers access to water sources for food growing purposes. Equally concerning is the difference and incongruence in implementation between farming practices and commercial activities (read bottled water interests like Nestle etc.). farming and food growing is a legitimate business interests with arguably more regionally based benefits as community based livelihood contributors to local economies.
Water is under immense and unprecedented pressure. ecological pressure (read climate weirding of crazy storm systems & drought/flooding cycles, by which Mother Earth is cleaning up our mindless mess by her endless effort to rebalance). and political pressure (water use rights granted to the highest bidder). and it isn’t even peak fire fighting season yet – that comes at the end of August. another whole hot rainless dry month of not-growing season away.