The City of Kamloops is inviting residents of Brocklehurst, the North Shore, and west Batchelor Heights to take part in a new survey designed to shape a major update to the North Kamloops watershed plan.
The survey, open until Friday, December 12 at 3 p.m., will play a key role in the City’s effort to revisit watershed conditions in the area for the first time in more than a decade. According to Travis Pahl, the City’s utility planning and projects manager, the update is overdue.
“We do a master watershed plan every year or two,” Pahl said. “We pick one of the watersheds in the city, look at the infrastructure related to that, and the issues in that area, and that helps inform our infrastructure plans. The last time we did the North Shore, Brock, and West Batchelor was back in 2012.”
He said several factors prompted the City to move the North Kamloops watershed to the top of its list this year — including recent provincial housing regulation changes and rapid development along Tranquille Road. “We’re just making sure we’re understanding current issues, whether from climate change or development, and looking forward to see how the impacts of growth in different neighbourhoods will impact infrastructure and what we need in the future,” Pahl said.
The survey asks residents about flooding and drainage, their views on current stormwater management, and their willingness to support different types of infrastructure — from green solutions like rain gardens and permeable pavers to traditional systems such as curbs and stormwater pipes.
Pahl said public feedback is essential. “It is really helpful to rely on the people who live and work there because they have that first-hand knowledge of where they see these issues,” he said. “If people see these issues in their neighbourhoods, it will help us identify them for the engineering company working on the assessment. The City does have records of drainage complaints, but this really helps us identify any hot spots.”
The City is also exploring how community involvement could help reduce stormwater management costs while improving long-term environmental outcomes.
Residents can complete the survey at LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca/NorthKamWatershed. Those who participate will be entered for a chance to win a rain barrel. Paper surveys are available at City Hall for those without computer access, and completed forms must be submitted by the December 12 deadline.
Once engagement wraps up, the project will move into a year-long technical review. “Our current schedule has the plan finishing around the fall of next year,” Pahl said. “There’s quite a bit of work that goes into the engineering planning and modelling. We’re looking at engagement now, then some field reconnaissance in the spring to see if the results match up with the model, and then we get into the reporting and projections aspect of the plan.”
City staff say that community feedback has shaped previous watershed plans and has helped flag problem areas that were later added to the City’s Capital Plan for upgrades. They hope residents across the North Kamloops watershed will take part in this new round of input to help guide future infrastructure decisions.
