{"id":622197,"date":"2024-05-28T19:14:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T16:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/life-in-the-age-of-drought\/"},"modified":"2024-05-28T19:14:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T16:14:08","slug":"life-in-the-age-of-drought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/life-in-the-age-of-drought\/","title":{"rendered":"#Life in the Age of Drought"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a23e7f32113b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a23e7f32113b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/life-in-the-age-of-drought\/#Subscribe_Now\" >Subscribe Now<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/life-in-the-age-of-drought\/#Get_the_Best_of_Macleans_straight_to_your_inbox\" >Get the Best of Maclean\u2019s straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"wp-block \">\n<div class=\"ad-free-zone\">\n<div class=\" mx-auto max-w-full w-full -mt-20 laptop:mt-0 laptop:pt-20 max-w-[600px] laptop:max-w-[945px]\">\n<div class=\" max-w-full aspect-[945_\/_630] laptop:h-[630px]\"><img alt=\"An image of a hawk soaring over a foggy, forested landscape in Merritt, BC\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1000\" height=\"700\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover\" style=\"color:transparent\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 945px\" srcset=\"\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;q=75 640w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;q=75 750w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=828&amp;q=75 828w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=1080&amp;q=75 1080w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75 1200w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75 1920w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=2048&amp;q=75 2048w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75\"\/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"all-small-caps text-grey\"> <!-- -->photograph by grant faint via getty images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-w-[640px] laptop:max-w-[600px] mx-auto px-20 laptop:px-0 py-20 laptop:py-20\">\n<div class=\"text-smm leading-smm laptop:leading-smxl font-sans laptop:text-base text-grey font-lightmedium\">Our hometown of Merritt, B.C., has been dealing with water restrictions since April. Drought, wildfire and flooding keep us constantly on edge.\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"author\">BY Leanne Cleaveley<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-w-[640px] mx-auto py-20 px-20\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex gap-6\">\n<div class=\"relative inline-block\"><button aria-label=\"Sharing Button\" class=\"rounded-xl border border-grey-light px-12 py-6 hover:bg-grey-lighter transition-colors\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\"><g clip-path=\"url(#share_svg__a)\"><path stroke=\"#121212\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M2.419 15.525c1.286-1.37 4.661-4.275 9.458-4.275V15l6.25-6.25-6.25-6.25v3.75c-4.125 0-9.413 3.941-10 9.027a.313.313 0 0 0 .542.248\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"share_svg__a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M0 0h20v20H0z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"fixed laptop:absolute max-laptop:bottom-0 laptop:top-[calc(100%+20px)] left-0 right-0 laptop:right-auto w-full laptop:w-[190px] p-20 rounded-lg bg-white font-sans shadow-[0px_0px_10px_rgba(0,0,0,0.15)] invisible\">\n<ul class=\"list-none p-0\">\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Copy Link<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Email<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a><\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>X<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Whats<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a><\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Reddit<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"uppercase text-xs leading-normal font-sans text-grey font-lightmedium\">May 28, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap     undefined\"><strong>In 2000, my husband and I<\/strong> moved from Anahim Lake, B.C., to Merritt to take jobs as teachers in the area. It seemed like a nice place to start a family: Merritt is a tight-knit, 7,000-person community that\u2019s quieter than the lower mainland, more affordable than the coast, and close to beautiful hiking and cross-country ski trails. We also have family nearby, just north of Kamloops. We love it here, but droughts, floods and wildfires put us more on edge every year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">We\u2019ve lived with water restrictions for more than a decade. They come around every summer. Merritt is in a semi-arid valley, which means it receives only 25 to 50 centimetres of rain per year, or more than ten times less than many of the province\u2019s coastal towns. This year, water is in especially short supply\u2014we rely heavily on snowpack to hydrate the land, but we barely had any snow this winter. That, coupled with summers that get hotter each year, has made the land especially dry. In July of last year, we were under level five restrictions, which prohibited lawn watering, car washing, pool filling and garden sprinkler use. People felt yucky and upset\u2014all lawns were brown, upkeeping a natural garden felt nearly impossible, and we took limited baths and mostly showers.\u00a0One day last summer, we woke up to wildfire ash on our deck, patio table and chairs. Because hosing was forbidden, I swept the soot and ash, which just made them smear, and we visited a commercial car wash to clear the dust from our car. That was the worst drought I\u2019d experienced.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">Usually, at this stage of spring, we are barely entering level one of water restrictions, which limits lawn watering and garden sprinkling to three times per week. But last month, the municipality had already imposed level three restrictions, which means we cannot fill a pool and can only water our yards and gardens twice per week.\u00a0This is a precautionary measure; the municipality said implementing restrictions this early may mean we won\u2019t have to resort to severe measures later on. So already being at level three restrictions makes me anxious about what this summer will be like.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block \">\n<div class=\"inline-magazine-block ad-free-zone max-w-screen-desktop mx-auto px-20 tablet:px-40 py-20 tablet:py-40\">\n<div class=\"border border-dark border-b-6&#10;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;flex flex-col-reverse tablet:grid grid-cols-[2fr_repeat(3,_1fr)] gap-0 tablet:gap-20 desktop:gap-40 items-center px-20 py-40 laptop:p-40&#10;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;\">\n<div class=\"max-w-[400px] mx-auto text-center laptop:pr-20\">\n<p><h2 class=\"text-red\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Subscribe_Now\"><\/span>Subscribe Now<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>Maclean\u2019s<\/em> magazine offers something you can\u2019t get anywhere else: deeply reported, compellingly told longform feature stories on the most urgent topics in the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">It\u2019s not just the drought I fear, but wildfires and flooding, too. In 2021, we were on evacuation alert during the forest fires that destroyed Lytton, a town just 100 kilometres west from Merritt. We had fires west and south of us and smoke so thick that we could no longer see the nearby mountains. Fearing that we would be trapped without an exit route, we left Merritt for a few days and stayed in a hotel in the lower mainland. There\u2019s also the rain, which is rare but intense. Merritt has two rivers flowing across it, so we\u2019re prone to flooding. In 2022, one of the rivers overflowed and flooded many houses and buildings, including my workplace, Merritt Central Elementary School. The library is the lowest part of the school, and we lost about 2,500 books; I spent last year replacing them. Sometimes it feels like there\u2019s no winning\u2014we need rain to water the land, but when it comes, it damages something else. Snow is really what we want, because it absorbs into the ground more slowly and carries less of a flood risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">Living with limited water has forced people here to become resourceful. When we moved into our house 24 years ago, the previous owners left behind a rain barrel. We thought, <em>That\u2019s odd. Why would someone need a rain barrel<\/em>? Now, my husband and I use it regularly, along with four other receptacles around our yard, outfitted from old food storage containers, to capture rainwater. They store hundreds of litres, which we use to water flowers and vegetables. In the summers we also collect water from our gutters, save grey water and dump it on our trees, and put containers under tall planters to collect any water that accumulates at the bottom. We don\u2019t waste a single drop. We also installed a drip irrigation system on our back deck to grow vegetables and bought bales of straw mulch to put around the base of our plants to hold the water in. It\u2019s a lot of upkeep\u2014we barely <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> in the summer because it\u2019s hard to ask someone to maintain our watering system once or twice per day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">The dryness and the water restrictions put people on edge. If someone has a green lawn through the summer months, for example, their neighbours might get suspicious and accuse them of using too much water. It\u2019s also difficult to accept water restrictions when we see large industries nearby using lots of water for industrial projects like pipeline construction. It leads to a lot of debate and discontent on our community Facebook page. A recent instance in particular stoked the tension\u2014a resident had forgotten to turn off their water and received a notice from the municipality that further bad actions could lead to suspension of their water altogether. That upset a lot of people; it\u2019s hard to imagine not having your water.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">Sometimes, when people from other places learn about the climate in Merritt, they ask us why we stay. The question really should be, \u201cWhere would we go?\u201d These climate events threaten many parts of B.C., and I\u2019ve lived in this province my entire life. Merritt is home\u2014we\u2019re raising our two daughters here, have plenty of friends and like the pace of life. We also pay lower taxes compared to those living on the coast, and we wouldn\u2019t be able to own a house on two teacher salaries in the lower mainland.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"    endstyle undefined\">Not everyone thinks this way. Merritt\u2019s population is stagnant, perhaps because people don\u2019t know how to make life here sustainable. I think new residents are struggling with the climate and the water restrictions because they don\u2019t have water-collection processes in place. I hope the city adopts more educational measures to help people make it through the summer months, instead of just imposing more sanctions, so we can retain newcomers. Everyone should know the hacks: shutting the water off when you leave the house, collecting grey water when you can and establishing a water-collecting system of gutters. None of this is easy, and knowing that we\u2019re in a drought can be stressful, but Merritt is a great place to live. I\u2019m just hoping for a kinder climate. Until then, it\u2019ll be up to us to adapt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block \">\n<div class=\"ad-free-zone laptop:px-0\">\n<div class=\"max-w-screen-desktop mx-auto px-20 tablet:px-40\">\n<div class=\"wp-newsletter-signup max-w-screen-desktop mx-auto w-full py-20 my-20 tablet:my-40 tablet:py-80&#10;          border-t-3 tablet:border-t-[6px] border-dark bg-white\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col tablet:flex-row max-w-[800px] w-full mx-auto tablet:items-center\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col tablet:w-7\/12 space-y-10 text-center tablet:text-left px-20\">\n<h2 class=\"text-red\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_the_Best_of_Macleans_straight_to_your_inbox\"><\/span>Get the Best of <em>Maclean\u2019s<\/em> straight to your inbox.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"newsletter-subtitle font-sans text-sm leading-xm tablet:leading-smm font-lightmedium text-grey\">Sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>, commentary, analysis and promotions. Join 80,000+ Canadian readers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/society\/life-in-the-age-of-drought\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>photograph by grant faint via getty images Our hometown of Merritt, B.C., has been dealing with water restrictions since April. Drought, wildfire and flooding keep us constantly on edge. BY Leanne Cleaveley Copy Link Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit May 28, 2024 In 2000, my husband and I moved from Anahim Lake, B.C., to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":622198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cms.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/JUNE-2024_MERRITT-BC-WATER-RESTRICTIONS_GETTY-IMAGES_BY-GRANT-FAINT.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-622197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622197"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622197\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}