A Nova Scotia farming group is concerned about the amount of water being used for agriculture this spring, but a provincial hydrologist says underground water levels are normal for this time of year. The current conditions have prompted Agriculture Canada to classify much of Nova Scotia as "abnormally dry," and categorize Truro and part of the Annapolis Valley as having a moderate drought. "It's getting to a point now where things are really drying out," said Allan Melvin, a sixth-generation farmer from the Annapolis Valley and president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture.
Extremely dry spring brings water shortage worries to the South Okanagan
There is little doubt the Okanagan is on the front lines of climate change, living between drought and extreme fire seasons. The town of Oliver only received 2.5 millimetres of rain in May compared to the average of 34.7 mm over the past 30 years in that month. There is less water available per person in the Okanagan than anywhere else in Canada. The Okanagan also has one of the highest rates of water use per person in Canada.