By Chad Klassen

Farmers without stock water getting picture of what Noble Creek shutdown could look like

Feb 12, 2019 | 4:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — Farmers in Westsyde have been without stock water since last Monday, forcing Jon Peachey to tap into domestic water system in order to provide his livestock with the water they need during winter, especially as his calving season begins.

“It’s been a bit of a problem. Normally, I have all my cows up in this area where it’s easy for me to get access to them if they have any calving trouble,” said Peachey. “It’s easy for me to check on them at night. I had let them down in a bigger area where they had access to Noble Creek.” 

The frigid temperatures in Kamloops are to blame for shutting off the Noble Creek irrigation system.

“The [North Thompson] river has dropped to levels that we haven’t seen in many years, so the intake in the river is actually out of the water right now. It’s dry,” noted the city’s utility services manager Greg Wightman. “What little water there is in front of the intake is completely frozen, so we’re not able to get any water into the intake and we can’t provide any water into the intake.”

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Peachey says using the domestic water could have serious financial implications if the irrigation system remains unusable. It is significantly more expensive for farmers to use than stock water.

“If all the cattle are watering full-on, then it could be potentially around $4,000 a month as opposed to $540 a year,” noted Peachey.

But that’s the situation farmers using the Noble Creek irrigation system could be facing in a couple years if it is completely shut off. 

City council has extended the life of the system from September 2019, when staff originally planned to stop its use, to September 2021. However, these last eight days without stock water have served as a reminder to Peachey about how critical it is to his ranching operation that has about 260 head of cattle.

“That’s only for the two months a year when I need them up by the barn to have access. The other times I do have access to springs. It’s just in calving season, I need them here where I can get to them easily,” he said.

The city has noted it costs $250,000 a year to operate the 50-year-old system. However, the utility fee paid by the 36 property owners only covers about 10 per cent of those costs. 

The two-year reprieve gives the City of Kamloops and farmers in Westsyde some time to figure out a long-term water solution. 

“We’re going to be working closely with the users out there and various provincial ministries to determine what our options are for that system and what other options there are out there to provide water to the users of that area,” said Wightman. 

Peachey currently pays the $540 per year for stock water, but he wouldn’t mind paying a little more if it means the city can keep the system going.