Kamloops farmers who use the Noble Creek Irrigation System have had to find their own sources of water over the past few days after the system ran dry Thursday afternoon.

One of those users is former City Councillor, Dieter Dudy, who operates Thistle Farm.

“They shut us down on Thursday afternoon with some warning, just at the moment type thing,” Dudy said on the NL Noon Report. “But it left us high and dry going into one of the hotter weekends of the summer.”

Dudy says he had to borrow a truck with tanks from a friend who runs a tree business in the Quesnel-area to ensure that his crops have water for the rest of the growing season.

“It is a temporary fix but it was a question of having to pick up a pump and a number of things, and getting permitting to be able to get the water on here,” Dudy added. “And even at that, it is going to be a slow process because its not the same as turning on a switch and letting the water flow but at least I should be able to save my crops.”

There are 41 total customers who use the Noble Creek Irrigation System, including small-scale farmers like Dudy and the Privato winery.

While the City of Kamloops announced plans to decommission the irrigation system after the growing season in September, users of the system were warned that drought conditions could lead to a premature shutdown.

Dudy tells Radio NL he has had to jump through a number of hoops to ensure that he has enough water for his crops. He says he was hoping the City of Kamloops would have done more to help people though this emergency.

“You have to get a permit to draw water from the river,” he said. “So you go through the Ministry of Forests, my understanding is that they’re doing their best to expedite that. I would hope that means within a day or so.”

“Otherwise, my option would be to use the city water that I have come to my house for domestic supply, but that would be incredibly expensive.”

Users of the system have formed the Noble Creek Irrigation Society that aims to “find a sustainable and long-term solution to keeping irrigation in the Noble Creek area.”

They’ve also launched a petition decrying the city’s decision to decommission the irrigation system, saying it generates around $6.5 million in economic impact each year.

“Without access to cost-effective irrigation services, they risk losing everything they have worked so hard to build,” the petition says.

The City’s Utility Services Manager, Greg Wightman, told Radio NL last month they were committed to operating the Noble Creek Irrigation System for as long as possible, though conceded that the City was “at the mercy of Mother Nature” as water levels on the North Thompson River were continuing to drop.

“The guy whose probably going to be impacted the most will be me because vegetables require that much water. I would have to say next would be Privato because of the grapes,” Dudy said.

“And while its going to impact the hay farmers, they’ve already gotten one if not possibly two cuts off on the season, so chances are they’ll still come out alright, but that’s not the point. The point is that they need irrigation on there regardless because they want to have good cover for the winter.”

– With files from Paul James