Future of Recreation: 10 Things You can do About the Drought

Prince George Citizen photo

What the outdoor recreation community can do about low snowpacks, forest fire risk and prepare for a hotter, drier future

The Future of Recreation - from access to nature to apps and AI, the evolution of trail construction to electric power, this story is part of a series of articles looking at how recreation will change and evolve over the short and long term. 

After a few moist weeks in British Columbia, it’s tempting to breathe a sigh of relief about the ongoing drought. That would be a mistake, says Matt MacDonald, the lead forecaster for the BC Wildfire Service. 

“I like to say the forest has a lot longer memory than we do,” says MacDonald. “This drought is two or three years in the making. A bit of rain is not going to resolve anything. It’s like a drop in a very empty bucket.”

That means it’s going to take a very wet spring and summer to ease the ongoing drought throughout British Columbia. No matter what the next few weeks bring, there is plenty the outdoor recreation community can do to mitigate the risks today and prepare for a drier, hotter future.

Here are 10 steps individuals and clubs can get busy on right now and use throughout the fire season.

1. FireSmart infrastructure

Whether it’s a bridge, clubhouse, shelter or tool cache, there’s more infrastructure in the backcountry than ever before. The best way to potentially save these structures from a forest fire is to proactively prepare using the tips from FireSmart. “There is lots of tangible stuff you can do to eliminate fires close to structures,” says MacDonald. “A lot of it is low hanging fruit.” The provincial program includes a website full of tips on reducing the fire risk by building smart and maintaining the area around infrastructure. There funding available to help pay for projects. 

2. Enhance waterways

Droughts and heat waves impact aquatic species especially hard. It’s made worse by human impacts in watersheds, but that also means there’s lots we can do to help prepare river systems for the extremes of climate change. There are active streamkeeper groups working across the province to enhance creeks and wetlands and support fish and other aquatic species. They are often looking for volunteers and partners, says ZoAnn Morten, the executive director of the Pacific Streamkeeper Federation, especially if you have equipment and expertise to work in remote wilderness areas, like ATVers and horseback riders. She suggests inviting a streamkeeper to come speak at your group’s meeting. Try searching “streamkeeper” and your local area to see which groups pop up. There’s also a database of groups here.

3. Build smarter trails

A big focus of trail building and maintenance has been keeping water off the trail surface. But the recent hot and dry summers have also shown it’s desirable to hold onto some of that moisture. When the trail surface gets too dry, it turns to dust, which has its own erosion issues. Trail managers are now experimenting with drainage designs that effectively shed water when it’s wet but hold it nearby to keep trails moist in the heat of summer.  

4. Vacation flexibly

Planning a vacation is harder than ever. Campsites are so busy they must be booked months in advance, but smoky skies, fires and floods are increasingly forcing last minute changes. The lesson is to be flexible and help visitors do the same. If it’s possible, travel outside July and August, when everything is less busy and the fire and smoke risk is lower. If not, book refundable and changeable reservations and be willing to change plans.

5. Recreate safely

In the spring, most forest fires are human-caused. Lightning takes over as the main spark during the summer, but human activity remains the cause of 40 percent of wildfires. Railways, electricity lines, cigarette butts and campfires are all possible culprits. But recreation vehicles and even hot mountain bike brakes have sparked blazes too. “You don’t want to be that person,” says MacDonald. ORV and ATV owners should make sure their exhaust’s spark arrestor is working properly. And all recreational users should play with caution. 

6. Download the app

The provincial government updated its BC Wildfire Service app. It’s a one-stop portal for “maintaining vigilance and awareness,” the mantra for summer fun, according to MacDonald. A high-resolution map and search functions make it easy to find danger ratings, fire bans, fire activity, smoke forecasts, closed areas, evacuation alerts, and more. 

7. Adjust to the forecast

“The deep drought conditions are challenging our initial attack crews’s ability to rapidly contain and extinguish fires,” MacDonald says, adding that fire behaviour in drought conditions can be very aggressive. That means it’s easier to get trapped by a fire and it’s more important than normal to adjust recreation plans according to the weather. When weather forecasts mention any lightning risk, he suggests foregoing backcountry plans and staying closer to highways and towns. 

8. Don’t be a hero

As streams dry up, they often leave fish stranded in ever-shrinking pools. It’s human nature to want to save the minnows, but streamkeeper Morten urges restraint. “Rescuing fish is done with a great deal of caution,” she says. Instead of jumping to the rescue, she suggests contacting the nearest streamkeeper group or government fisheries community advisor for advice. 

9. Cool off with compassion

One of the most satisfying things to do on a hot day is to go for a swim, but in smaller rivers and creeks this can have a negative impact on the fish that are already struggling to survive. Every time a dog or human gets into the water the fish rush to a hiding place. They’re breathing hard and not feeding. Morten urges people to avoid cooling off in smaller streams and pools. That goes for Fido too. “It’s a hard ask,” she admits. “But you have a rec centre, a pool or a hose. This is their only home.”

10. Communicate the risks

Maybe the most important role outdoor recreation groups can play during the drought is to communicate with their members and the public. They can post fire danger at trailheads. Social media posts can warn about incoming weather or smoky conditions. And websites can talk about how to prevent fires, including the importance of spark arrestors and caution around hot mountain bike brakes in grasslands. In the long term outdoor groups can get involved in proactive efforts to add resilience to recreation infrastructure and the wild environments we play in. 

Bottom line: we may not be able to control droughts, forest fires and heat waves, but we can control how we react to the changing climate.