Right in the middle of the growing season — and the hottest and driest weeks of the year — North Okanagan orchardists have had their irrigation water cut off entirely.

"You (the Greater Vernon Water utility) cannot simply shut off the water to hundreds of farms and treat it as a routine restriction," said orchardist Deep Brar, president of the BC Fruit Growers' Association.

"The decision you are making could kill orchards that took 20 years to grow, you have an obligation to coordinate that decision — with the growers who will live with it and with the province, which holds tools that a regional district (like Greater Vernon Water) does not."

Orchardists are demanding the water flow again while farmers and the provincial government come up with a water management plan.

In early June, Greater Vernon Water started a 70% reduction in agricultural water for 2,100 acres of primarily apple and cherry orchards, as well as peaches, apricots, plums, pears and nectarines.

As of July 13, orchards had used up the Greater Vernon Water mandated reduced seasonal allotment and water service started to be cut off.

Back in early June, orchardists raised the alarm the 70% reduction would be devastating to farms and farmers that were already conserving water with drip irrigation.

Photo credit: Marek Studcinski on UnsplashApple trees need water to survive and produce fruit.

The BC Fruit Growers' Association estimates crop and orchard damages in the Vernon area could cost $250 million in direct losses and over $300 million once lost production, packing, trucking, labour, suppliers and related local business is taken into account.

The association stressed a mature orchard is a long-term food-producting infrastructure and if the trees die, losses are measured in years, not a single season and the economic consequences radiate through the entire regional economy.

"The hardest part for growers is that this feels like it is being done to them, not with them," said association executive director Adrian Arts.

"Decisions of this magnitude cannot be handed down and enforced without a coordinated plan behind them. Before the water is shut off, growers need to know what mitigation is actually being delivered and the regional district needs to be at the table with the province working through every available option. That coordination should have happened before the taps were turned off."

Photo credit: Steven Weeks on UnsplashCherry trees need water to survive and produce fruit.

Orchardist aren't disputing that this season's drought is serious, but feel there should still be some water available to allow the tree fruit industry to survive.

Orchardists are dealing with water restrictions in other Okanagan jurisdictions.

But no other area of the Okanagan has had agricultural water completely shut off.