In March 2021, the Province released a proposal to update and expand British Columbia’s (B.C.) drought levels. The proposal aims to more accurately describe drought and water scarcity conditions in B.C., allow for improved protection of water resources and local aquatic ecology, and make B.C. more consistent with other jurisdictions across the continent. The comment period closed on March 31, 2021.  

The Province received 24 individual comments on the proposal and heard support from the majority of respondents to expand the drought levels to a 6-level scale, align with the North American Drought Monitor best practices, and conduct an operational trial period this summer. 

As a result of the engagement, the proposal was modified to address concerns and the Drought Response Plan was updated to reflect the revised proposal. A summary of feedback received and changes made is available in the What We Heard and Outcomes document.

Government is now implementing a province-wide operational trial of the proposed drought levels during the spring and summer. An evaluation of the trial will be conducted at the end of this period to determine effectiveness. If the new levels are found beneficial, then they will likely become permanent.  

For an explanation of the updates, outcomes, and the province-wide trial, please watch this short video.

If you have any questions or would like to provide feedback, please email livingwatersmart@gov.bc.ca.