Open Letter: 46 local government elected officials calling for action to strengthen watershed security

The BC Watershed Security Coalition has been working closely with local elected officials across the province, and these conversations point to a common reality: growing water insecurity, rising costs, and increasing pressure on local governments to do more with limited tools, resources, and long-term funding.

Jan 16, 2026

To:
Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia
Honourable Brenda Bailey, Minister of Finance
Honourable Brittny Anderson, Minister of State, Rural Communities and Local Government
Honourable Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs
Honourable Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
Honourable Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth
Honourable Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests
Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions
Honourable Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture
Honourable Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Honourable Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks

Delivered via email

Subject: Water Insecurity Threatens BC Communities and Our Economy

Dear Premier Eby and Ministers,

Planning for the future of B.C.’s economy is vital, and initiatives like the Look West strategy reflect a bold vision for investment, resilience, and long-term prosperity. But that vision cannot succeed if it overlooks the foundation every sector depends on: healthy watersheds and functioning natural systems. Our watersheds are not a backdrop; they are the infrastructure that makes every job, every farm, and every community possible.

Across BC, water insecurity is no longer an abstract concern. Dawson Creek’s recent state of water emergency is just the latest stark example: years of drought combined with high industrial demand have brought reservoirs to critically low levels, forcing costly emergency measures, including a proposed $100 million water pipeline. Dawson Creek follows the Sunshine Coast and the Village of McBride in declaring water emergencies in recent years. Communities from every corner of the province are now facing similar pressures, dwindling supplies, rising costs, and mounting strain on local economies.

Local governments are being asked to do more with less: approve housing, support economic growth, prepare for emergencies, and protect drinking water, often without the resources, authority, coordination, or data required to manage water sustainably. Decisions are often made upstream, frequently leaving downstream communities to bear the financial and social consequences.

The economic risks of inaction are real and growing:

• Water shortages force businesses to close and farms to lose crops
• Wildfires and droughts damage infrastructure, impact tourism, and threaten community health
• Declining investor confidence as communities face water insecurity
• Rising emergency costs that strain local budgets

BC’s water governance system remains fragmented. Unlike other provinces, we lack a coordinated framework of watershed boards. Local watershed boards bring together First Nations, local governments, and other key water users like Agriculture to develop local solutions to water challenges. Collaborative successes in the Koksilah, Cowichan, Nicola, and Okanagan watersheds demonstrate what is possible, but they remain the exception rather than the norm.

Sustained, long-term funding is needed to do this critical work. There is a practical path forward, and it does not require raising taxes for everyday people. A recent report from the BC Watershed Security Coalition highlights that BC currently charges some of the lowest industrial water rental rates in Canada. Modernizing these rates could generate over $100 million annually, providing a stable, ongoing revenue source for watershed planning, monitoring, and restoration.

We urge the Province to take three key actions:

1. Modernize industrial water rental rates –  ensure large-volume water users contribute fairly to the water systems our communities and economy rely on.
2. Enable local watershed boards – develop a provincial system of Watershed Boards that provides clear decision-making structures, enabling local governments and First Nations to lead, coordinate data and set shared priorities with key water users that reflect each watershed’s unique geography and history.
3. Scale up the Watershed Security Fund – direct provincial water revenue back into the health of our watersheds, driving good local jobs in the watershed workforce, community-led watershed planning, monitoring, and stewardship.

Investing in watershed security strengthens BC’s climate resilience, supports local jobs, safeguards drinking water, protects food production, attracts investment, and stabilizes regional economies. In short, watershed security is community security and economic security.

Local governments are ready to lead and collaborate on this work, but we cannot do it alone. Provincial leadership, sustained funding, and governance reform are essential. The longer we wait, the higher the costs – but if we act now, we can build a more resilient, prosperous, and sustainable future for every community in British Columbia.

Our communities and our shared economy depend on it.

Sincerely,