The Okanagan Basin Water Board has settled on 'Hippo' as the name for the new amphibious milfoil harvester.
The new harvester was launched in June, and the water board has solicited suggestions from the public on giving the harvester a name.
Besides Hippo, other suggested options included Bob, Dredg O Nator, Free Milly, OkeyPokey and the Milfoil Muncher.
The remaining OBWB harvester dates back to 1978, and a harvester manufacturer said is likely the oldest operating harvester in the world at 46 years.
A machine spring maintenance check revealed two holes in the hull, caused by metal corrosion affecting the entire hull, signalling this as the last summer the old harvester could be utilized before needing a major repair.
It has left the water board with a decision 鈥� either repair the hull at a cost of $25,000 to $35,000 and extend its lifespan for another 10 years while other major components of the harvester would be at risk of needing repair or replacement, or purchase a new replacement harvester at an estimated $350,000 to $385,000 cost.
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There have been two changes to the slate of OBWB directors appointed by Okanagan regional districts.
Bob Fleming has moved from alternate to board director for the Regional District of North Okanagan, while Christine Fraser has switched to being an alternate.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan has reduced its number of alternates to one, that being regional district board director Kevin Kraft.
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The water board has received a remediation report regarding an incident involving a truck incident in West 琉璃神社 near Trepanier Creek that involved a chemical spill on Nov. 17, 2023.
The report update was done by the environment emergency branch of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
"There were observations of discoloured soils along the roadway and through the culvert, where the fire extinguishing water had flowed," stated the report.
"Any soils with visual impacts were removed and samples were collected after the removal to confirm that contaminants of concern were effectively managed."
The report says residual exceedances of chloride, sodium and zinc were noted, however, all three were attributable to roadway runoff.
"Concentrations of chloride and sodium were considerably reduced following remediation works. Zinc concentrations were higher in the second round of sampling, but didn't exceed guidelines in the initial assessment, reinforcing the potential roadway source."
Water sampling of Trepanier Creek offered no detection of cyanide or methanol, while ammonia levels were consistent with upstream concentrations.
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Zane Marshall, a Southern Nevada Water Authority director of water resources, will be the keynote speaker for the OBWB's annual public meeting slated for Sept. 6
Marshall will give a presentation about 'the world's most litigated river system, the Colorado River in the southwestern U.S., and the lessons learned about water scarcity and the need for environment and water conservation management.
See more details about the public meeting at .
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A new research project aims to evaluate the economic value of irrigated agriculture in the Okanagan.
The two-year project will be headed up by Alberto Ceccacci, the successful grant recipient for the study contract position at UBC Okanagan.
Ceccacci, who holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and Rural Appraisal from the University of Bologna, offers a wealth of background experience in the economic valuation of ecosystem services and climate change adaptation to climate change.
This research project is a partnership with UBC, the Regional District of Central Okanagan, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, the BC Fruit Growers Association and several local municipal governments.
The research project will deliver critical insights into agricultural water needs today and in the future, ensuring how to sustain water use in the face of climate change and population growth.
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The Okanagan spent more than half of 2023 facing drought conditions, and that drought continues to persist this year due to a lower-than-normal snowpack combined with early-than-usual spring melt coupled with a precipitation deficit.
The Brenda Mines monitoring station reported the earliest-ever snow-free conditions in its 28-year history record, which led to an early freshet and concerns for the late-season water supply.
These conditions led the Okanagan to be given a Level 3 drought rating as of July 25. Provincial drought levels range from 0, non-drought conditions, to 5, exceptionally dry.
Current long-term forecasting indicates warmer-than-normal weather for the rest of the summer, so voluntary water conservation is encouraged to help mitigate the effects of drought.
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In a cross-provincial cooperation effort to prevent invasive mussels from accessing B.C. waterways, the water board is sending letters to Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Nathan Cullen and Alberta Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force chair Grant Hunter to institute a Western Canada Mussel Free Zone.
This zone would restrict watercraft from outside of B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan to protect local ecosystems, support tourism and reduce the threat of invasive mussels from already-infested areas such as Ontario and Manitoba.
Staff also recommended the water board renew its call for mandatory inspections using existing provincial inspection stations, supplemented by certified inspectors/decontaminators from the private sector who could offer this paid service to watercraft owners who are not stopped at a roadside inspection centre.
This model is similar to one now used in Arizona to ensure that watercraft brought into the province along routes that are not monitored, out of inspection season or outside of inspection station hours, are still required to have an inspection prior to launching in B.C. waters.
Thus far, both the federal and provincial governments have been hesitant to impose a watercraft restriction while fiscal commitments to the inspection service have been criticized by the water board as insufficient.
