By Dominic Abassi

Level 4 Drought put in place for Second Straight Summer

Jun 29, 2016 | 11:23 AM

Back-to-back summers of prolonged droughts are feared on Vancouver Island.

The Provincial Government has issued a level four drought alert from Campbell River to Victoria and the entire south island.

Due to low flows and warm temperatures, freshwater fishing will be banned starting Friday on most streams on the mid and South Island.

Manager of Provincial Fisheries Mike Ramsey says there are a few exceptions.

“Big Qualicum, Puntledge and Quinsam Rivers, these will be lifted as exceptions and there will be fisheries allowed on those systems,” Ramsey said.

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Ramsey says the freshwater fishing closures will last until September 1.

The Province is urging people to use as little water as possible.

BC’s Water Stewardship Manager, Valerie Cameron, says using only the water you need will help maintain supply later this summer.

She says lots of rain will be needed to ease drought concerns.

“We need substantial precipitation because we have dry soil, dropping ground water water levels and we have dropping stream levels, so it would be a significant precipitation event of the sort that we would normally get in the fall to turn things around,” said Cameron

Drought level four conditions were issued on July 3 last year and lasted into September.

Since April, the mid-island has seen consistent record breaking heat and below average amounts of rain fall.