Special Bulletin

Request for voluntary water use reduction in the Salmon River and Bessette Creek watersheds

This special bulletin provides an update on drought conditions and water levels in the Salmon River and Bessette watersheds only

Overview

Streamflows in the Salmon River and Bessette Creek watersheds have been fluctuating just above and below a critical threshold for fish and aquatic ecosystem health. The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is responding by investigating unauthorized use, working with partners to monitor conditions and remove barriers to fish passage as needed, actioning projects to increase scientific knowledge and drought resiliency in the watershed, and sending letters to water users to request voluntary use reductions in hopes of improving streamflow conditions. 

How is B.C. measuring drought levels in 2025?

• In 2025, the Province updated how it measures drought. In previous years, drought levels were set using a mix of information (e.g., rainfall, weather and streamflow data, observed impacts, evaluation of risk(s), and weather forecasts). While the Province is still using a six-level rating scale, drought levels are now set based only on objective data that measure physical conditions - things like rainfall and streamflow - compared to historical records.
• Drought levels now more consistently measure how dry it is compared to historical norms, rather than how serious the impacts are. Regional efforts will focus on monitoring impacts to inform local management actions.
• Drought levels are only established for entire drought basins – for example, South Thompson – and not for the smaller individual watersheds (like Salmon River or Bessette Creek) that are within them.
• It’s important to recognize that drought levels in the Salmon River and Bessette Creek watersheds may look different than in past years, even if streamflows or on the ground observations look similar.  

Where can I find more information on drought and drought levels?

• See our recent Special Bulletin on Drought and Wildfire Preparedness released on July 10, 2025.
• For more information on B.C.’s drought levels, corresponding impacts and general response actions, refer to our BC Drought Information webpage.

What are the current conditions in the Salmon River and Bessette Creek Watersheds?

• Streamflows in both Salmon River and Bessette Creek are considered barely sufficient to support the short-term health and proper functioning of their aquatic ecosystems, which therefore face a high likelihood of significant or irreversible harm.
• Provincial drought levels cover broad areas and may not reflect local drought conditions. Flows in both Salmon River and Bessette Creek are below normal for this time of year.
• Impacts of streamflow conditions on aquatic habitats and fish populations inform response actions.  

The above hydrographs for the Salmon River and Bessette Creek stations display 2025 daily streamflow (solid black line), median streamflow (solid grey line), 2024 daily streamflow (dashed black line), the Fish Population Survival Threshold (dashed red line), and the historical streamflow percentiles (as of July 15), all in cubic meters per second (cms). Streamflow percentiles allow the Province to compare current streamflow levels to historical records to help assess how typical or unusual conditions are. Flows are below average for this time of year for Salmon River and for Bessette Creek. While flows have rebounded slightly after recent rainfall, they remain near or below a level that is considered critical for the survival of fish populations (known as the Fish Population Survival Threshold). The trend shows that without further significant rainfall or reduction in water use, Salmon River and Bessette Creek flows will stay below the Fish Population Survival Threshold. 

*stay updated on drought conditions in the South Thompson basin on the BC Drought Information Portal

What actions are being taken by the Province in the Salmon River and Bessette Creek watersheds?

• Working with partners to monitor conditions and remove barriers to fish passage as needed.
• Supporting projects to increase scientific knowledge and drought resiliency in the watersheds.
• Investigating unauthorized use – residents can anonymously report unauthorized use through the Natural Resource Violation webpage.
• Sending out letters to water users requesting voluntary water use reductions from streams and aquifers in the Salmon River and Bessette Creek watersheds; water licence holders can expect to receive these letters shortly.
• If stream conditions continue to deteriorate, Ministry staff may need to recommend further regulatory actions to protect fish and fish habitat, such as Temporary Protection Orders (TPOs). See the Water Use During Scarcity webpage for more information about regulatory tools that the Province may use to address water scarcity impacts.
• Voluntary water use reductions by licence holders in sensitive watersheds can have a considerable positive impact on streamflows – individuals and communities can play a critical role in delaying or even preventing the need for further regulatory actions.  

More about voluntary reduction requests

• Water use reductions requested in these letters are voluntary and are not legally required. 
• Water users may receive multiple requests with increasing urgency to voluntarily reduce water use as drought conditions worsen. 
• Voluntary reduction request letters do not target individual water users but are typically sent out to groups of water users (e.g., the highest volume water users within an area of concern), which may include agricultural water users, industrial users and water purveyors.  

What can agricultural water users do in response to current drought conditions?

• Use efficient irrigation techniques to reduce water demand and regularly maintain and repair irrigation systems to ensure they are operating efficiently (e.g., check for leaks, inspect nozzles regularly, and apply water wisely).
• Monitor crop and soil conditions, prioritize irrigating crops at critical growth stages, reduce irrigated acreage where possible, and coordinate with other irrigators to stagger watering schedules and ease pressure on local water sources. 
• If you hold a storage license, rely on stored water rather than diverting directly from streams and wells.
• Access information and resources on drought and water management to help prepare for and respond to drought conditions at the Drought in Agriculture webpage.
• Look for and attend upcoming workshops and educational events.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

• Contact AgriService BC at AgriServiceBC@gov.bc.ca or 1-888-221-7141 for questions about supports for agriculture (e.g., project funding, financial assistance, drought resilience information), workshops and training activities.
• For information on water licensing and rights, water concerns in your area, or provincial drought response measures (e.g., letters requesting voluntary water use reductions and water-related orders), please contact DroughtOps@gov.bc.ca.

Visit the AgriServiceBC website and follow our Facebook page for more information on drought resources and tools