VICTORIA – An investigation into a complaint about the amount of timber harvesting in the Kettle River Watershed and its potential impacts on water flows has highlighted a need to improve watershed oversight. The Forest Practices Board assessed 169 large cutblocks harvested in the Selkirk and Okanagan Shuswap Natural Resource Districts between 2016 and 2021, and found licensees complied with legal requirements. However, investigators found 58% of large cutblocks harvested during this period were in watersheds that were later determined to be at-risk, and few watershed assessments were performed. …The investigation found five of seven licensees did not conduct watershed assessments when planning their harvesting activities in at-risk watersheds during the five-year period. In addition, 55 large cutblocks harvested in at-risk watersheds focused on imitating natural disturbance patterns, allowing green timber to be harvested. …the ministry and professional associations have since developed initiatives and tools to address the cumulative effects of harvesting and disturbances in the watershed.