Protecting Kimberley’s drinking water from wildfire.

Kimberley’s drinking water comes from the Mark Creek and Matthew Creek watersheds. The Wildfire Ready Watershed Project will study how wildfire could affect these watersheds and identify practical ways to reduce risks to water quality and supply.

Why this project matters

Wildfire is one of the most significant long-term risks to Kimberley’s water supply. A severe wildfire can damage vegetation and soils, increasing the potential for erosion, sediment and other changes that affect water quality, water quantity and streamflow.

The 2026 wildfire in the Matthew Creek watershed demonstrated the importance of preparing for this risk. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of the fire burned at high severity, including areas on the middle and upper slopes that are important for retaining snowpack and supporting water flows later in the season.

The goal of this project is to improve wildfire resilience in Kimberley’s community watersheds, with the protection of drinking water quality as the primary focus.

Scroll to #what-the-project-will-do

What the Project Will Do

The project combines wildfire science, watershed modelling and land-management planning. The work will be completed in three connected stages.

1. Wildfire modelling

Researchers will model potential wildfire scenarios in the Mark Creek watershed using current and future climate, weather and forest fuel conditions.

The modelling will help identify:

  • Areas that could burn
  • Potential fire severity
  • Possible effects on vegetation and soils
  • Locations where wildfire risk-reduction work may be most effective

2. Watershed modelling

The wildfire modelling results will then be used to examine how a severe fire could affect the watershed.

This stage will consider potential changes to:

  • Erosion and sediment
  • Drinking water quality
  • Water quantity
  • Soil conditions following a fire
  • The timing and size of peak water flows

3. Risk-reduction planning

The project team will test different wildfire mitigation approaches to determine where treatments could reduce fire risk while protecting water resources.

Water security will be the primary consideration, but the planning will also recognize other watershed uses and values, including recreation, habitat, forestry, hunting, fishing and trapping.

What the Project Will Produce

The project is intended to provide practical information that can guide future work in the Mark Creek and Matthew Creek watersheds.

Expected outcomes include:

Implementation-ready information

The modelling will describe the location and scale of potential wildfire risk-reduction work, including possible harvesting and fuel treatments. The results are intended to support future planning and help land managers make decisions that better account for water security.

Better-informed treatment planning

The City and other watershed partners will be able to compare potential treatment options and better understand how they may affect fire behaviour, soils, water quality and water quantity.

A Wildfire Ready Watershed Toolkit

The project will create a set of models and an analysis framework that other local governments and First Nations may be able to adapt for watersheds facing similar wildfire risks. The results are also expected to support future treatment planning, funding applications and implementation efforts.

Scroll to #project-partners-and-funding

Project Partners and Funding

The City began working to secure funding for the project in 2018. In 2026, the City secured 75 per cent of the required funding from Columbia Basin Trust and committed the remaining funding from City reserves. The project is expected to be completed over two years.

The project will be completed in partnership with:

  • Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais’s fire science lab at the University of British Columbia Okanagan
  • Wildland Fire Ecologist Bob Gray

Project funding provided by: 

  • 75% Columbia Basin Trust
  • 25% City reserves