A Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) committee is poised to recommend an application for a $30,000 Okanagan basin Water Board (OBWB) grant that would support steps towards water quality improvements in Greater Vernon.
The Greater Vernon Advisory Committee (GVAC) has an item on its Jan. 8 meeting agenda to recommend applying for the OBWB's 2025 Water Conservation and Quality Improvement Grant. If the grant is secured, it would fund a land use and water quality assessment of the Coldstream Creek Watershed. The assessment would take place at the point of Noble Canyon Road to Kalamalka Lake.
Staff note that water quality in Coldstream Creek directly impacts the drinking water for most people supplied by the Greater Vernon Water Utility (GVW).
The total funding available for the grant is $350,000 and each project requires endorsement from regional districts.
Staff estimate the maximum cost for the project will be $60,000, though the final cost will be determined once a request for proposals has been issued. If the RDNO gets the grant, the remaining $30,000 would be funded from the 2025 GVW operations budget.
The project relates to a discussion at GVAC's last meeting on Dec. 4, regarding "historical data for water nutrient loads and trends." The discussion touched upon the health of Kalamalka Lake and impacts from recent land use changes.
"In particular, concerns were raised on increasing algae blooms and bacterial counts at the beaches within the District of Coldstream," reads a report from the RDNO utilities department.
Staff noted at the meeting that there is a need to assess land use practices around Coldstream Creek as staff have noticed a "dramatic change in agricultural practices, land use and increase in high density housing in rural areas not serviced by municipal sewer." These changes could warrant policies and updated bylaws to reduce impacts to Coldstream Creek and Kalamalka Lake, according to the department.
If the OBWB grant is not awarded, GVW will consider completing the project in a phased approach, pushing the land use assessment to 2026. Or, staff will seek additional funding through the operations budget.
With this project, GVW is looking to update a risk assessment and pursue actions identified by a Watershed Response Plan for the North Kalamalka Lake intake and Coldstream Creek watershed to protect water quality and quantity. Having a source water protection plan is a requirement of the GVW permit to operate issued by Interior Health.
The project would include updating North Kalamalka Lake mapping from 2018, reviewing current Coldstream Creek monitoring programs, reviewing sample locations with recommendations for site improvements which would include the addition of two water quality monitoring stations, reviewing active permits and septic fields, and a review of legislation and regulations related to water quality, drinking water and fisheries with a focus on septic discharge in rural areas.
The proposed grant application will be discussed at GVAC's Jan. 8 meeting.
