It’s raining in Vernon so why are we still under Stage 3 water restrictions?
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
June 10 2026 - That’s the question many Greater Vernon and Coldstream residents might be asking this week as light showers and cooler weather move through the region.
After a wet few days, it’s easy to wonder why drought measures and strict conservation rules remain in place.
The answer lies high on the Aberdeen Plateau, where the Duteau Creek reservoirs that supply much of the region sit at critically low levels.
As of June 8, 2026, the three main Duteau storage reservoirs (Aberdeen, Grizzly, and Haddo) held roughly 11,300 to 11,500 megalitres, only about 62% of their full capacity of 18,291 ML. That’s well below the normal mid-June range of roughly 16,500 to 18,000 ML.
Recent light showers provided only a modest bump. Between the June 3 and June 9 updates, the reservoirs gained roughly 300 to 500 ML, representing just 5 to 10% of the current shortfall.
During that period, the area saw typical June convective rain of about 0.4 to 1.0 inch (10 to 25 mm) in the valley, possibly a bit more on the plateau.
By simple extrapolation, closing the remaining 5,000 to 6,500 ML gap to reach seasonal norms would require something on the order of 50 to 100 days of similar rainy weather. That is extremely unlikely in the North Okanagan’s dry summer climate.
This is precisely why Greater Vernon Water officials stated in their June 3 update:
“Once storage use begins, recovery from rainfall is rare, and current storage levels are likely to represent the total available supply for the remainder of the year until the next freshet.”
Who Actually Uses the Water?
Agriculture is by far the largest single user of Greater Vernon Water, accounting for roughly 55% of total annual consumption on the system. In peak summer months that share climbs even higher.
Within agriculture, the breakdown (based on Latest Greater Vernon Water metering data) looks like this:
Forage, hay, pasture and silage crops, which primarily support livestock operations (cattle, dairy, and horses), use the largest share, approximately 45% of all agricultural water.
Small acreages and ranches make up another 36% of agricultural demand. These properties (often 1- to 20-acre hobby or lifestyle farms) frequently maintain pasture and hay for animals.
Tree fruit orchards (apples, cherries and other permanent crops) account for roughly 15–20% of agricultural water use, even though they represent a smaller portion of total irrigated acreage.
What’s Ahead?
The short-term forecast for the North Okanagan offers little relief for the reservoirs. After the recent cooler, showery period, temperatures are expected to rebound into the mid-to-high 20s°C with mostly dry conditions through the remainder of June and into early July.
Long-range outlooks suggest a warmer and drier-than-average summer pattern is likely to continue.
Greater Vernon Water has been clear: even with occasional rain, the Duteau Creek system is now in draw-down mode.
Officials continue to urge residents and farmers to plan for a long, hot, dry summer with the current storage levels likely representing most of what will be available until next year’s snowpack and freshet.
The rain may feel refreshing this week, but for the big upland reservoirs that supply the region, it’s barely a drop in the bucket.
It’s raining in Vernon so why are we still under Stage 3 water restrictions?
Sources / Note
Water use breakdown is based on Greater Vernon Water’s Technical Memorandum No. 5 – Independent Agricultural System Review (2013) and subsequent GVW planning documents. This remains the most detailed publicly available breakdown of agricultural water use on the Duteau system. Reservoir levels and official quote are from the June 3, 2026 Greater Vernon Water Supply Update.
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