Our stunning Okanagan Valley, with its sparkling lakes and semi-arid climate, faces an increasingly-precarious water future.

Despite being surrounded by what appears to be abundant water, the Okanagan Basin is among Canada’s most water-stressed regions. Its residents use more than twice the national average of water per capita. As climate change intensifies and population growth continues, a fundamental shift in our relationship with water is essential.

The Okanagan's unique challenges stem from its geography and climate. While visitors marvel at expansive lakes, the reality is more complex as our region receives far less annual precipitation than the nearby “Wet Coast.”

Our watershed must support agriculture, tourism,and growing communities, creating intense competition for a finite resource. During summer months, when water demand peaks for both residential and agricultural use, supply dwindles as the snowpack diminishes, storage reservoirs dry up and temperatures skyrocket.

Climate models predict longer, hotter summers, reduced snowpack and more variable precipitation patterns, threatening water security. The window for proactive adaptation is narrowing. That is where xeriscaping enters as a powerful solution.

Far from the misconception of sterile rock and gravel gardens, xeriscaping is the art of creating vibrant, low-water landscapes adapted to local conditions. The approach embraces seven principles—thoughtful planning and design, soil improvement, efficient irrigation,........

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