Emergency Overland Water Transfer - Update December 4, 2025

An update regarding the Emergency Overland Water Transfer, a process being pursued due to the Drought Emergency:

• Permitting Process Underway: The Emergency Operations Team continues working through an extensive permitting process, which involves coordination with multiple ministries, organizations, and private companies. 
• Overland Hose Route Planning: Work continues on planning the overland hose route from the Peace River, including detailed mapping, engineering reviews, and ensuring safe crossings such as culverts and CN Rail approvals are in place. 
• Section 10 Permit Submitted to WLRS: The City has completed the Section 10 application with the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) and is now waiting for approval. This permit is required for short-term water use under BC’s Water Sustainability Act. 
• Preparation Work Pending MOTT Approvals: Once approvals from the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) are granted, crews can begin preparing culverts—cleaning and readying them for potential hose placement. 
• Hose Will Only Be Deployed When Needed: The overland hose will not be laid out until reservoir levels begin to draw down and we are ready to receive the supplemental water from the Peace, ensuring fiscal responsibility and minimizing costs associated with provincial funding, equipment rentals, and monitoring crews. 
• Water Levels Maintaining: Due to some recent precipitation, favourable weather, careful water management and community conservation efforts, we are in a better place than when this emergency first started – we have been able to maintain levels in our reservoirs and have not had to utilize them yet. The team is well prepared for several scenarios and ready should the situation take a turn. 

Updates regarding this emerging situation will be posted at www.dawsoncreek.ca/emergency. Subscribe to receive Emergency News.