Dear Editor:
Last week I had the privilege of attending the Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum. As a new resident to this beautiful region, I was very grateful for this truly educational experience.
Nearing the end of the first day’s presentations, that covered a dizzying array of topics from climate change to salmon ecosystems, a question was posed asking participants to sum up the key messages of the day.
Our former mayor, Stu Wells, eloquently summarized his thoughts concluding that he felt hopeful the challenges we face, although plenty and diverse in nature, could be successfully met in the coming years.
He proceeded to take some non-venomous heat for this seemingly optimistic view and it left me to ponder the day’s proceedings and the question of whether I agreed with his position.
A sense of ominous foreboding and hopeful optimism permeated my thoughts as many well-respected scientists gave their presentations over the two-day event. The obstacles that we must confront on a local as well as a global level in the areas of global warming, water conservation and sustainability are substantial real-time issues. I still felt optimistic upon the conclusion of the forum due to one common denominator that seemed to bind the presenters and community members alike: passion.
As a whole, the attendees shared this one intangible throughout the entire proceedings. Surveying the room I saw brilliant minds from both sides of the border coming together to facilitate discussion, theories, actions, initiatives and goals all with the shared interest of sustaining the local water basin. This shared passion along with a determined mandate for action continues to provide me a sense of hopefulness not unlike Stu Wells’ and has inspired me to get involved and further educated going forward.
I feel it is imperative to present and future generations that we continue to act locally and think holistically in regards to our limited water sources and our planet as a whole. Each one of us has a part to play in this narrative and it is important that our water basin remain at the forefront of our priorities, as it is the very lifeblood of this region.
My most sincere gratitude to the organizers and sponsors for putting on this much-needed forum and I look forward to the next.
Jeff Witt
Osoyoos, B.C.
