Severe drought conditions affect Nanaimo, surrounding region

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Areas of Coastal B.C. and the southern interior are currently very dry, while the majority of the province remains at average levels for the start of June. (Image Credit: Government of BC Drought Portal)

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Severe drought conditions affect Nanaimo, surrounding region

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Western Vancouver Island is only at drought level two currently, while western Kootenay region is a level four rating.

The Okanagan is the only part of B.C. already at level five, the highest severity possible, indicating the rare dry conditions and drought severity.

Cowie said a combination of three factors has led us to this point: low amounts of spring precipitation combined with warmer spring weather, causing an early mountain snow melt, which was already well below average.

“In the absence of significant additional precipitation, we could see some pretty profound deterioration, some pretty dry conditions across a lot of southern B.C., and that is certainly something pretty concerning and something we’re keeping a really close eye on.”

Only 44 per cent of the average mountain snow levels on Vancouver Island remained on April 1, plummeting to 11 per cent as of May 15.

Province-wide, 71 per cent of the average mountain snowpack level remained by the middle of May.

Cowie said impacts to surface water levels due to drought conditions can have major consequences for local ecosystems, affecting plants, animals and humans alike.

“You also start to see more depletion of groundwater, and that’s a really tough one, because once that groundwater is really significantly drawn down, it takes a longer time to really bring back a full recharge to it, there’s a lag time before it gets recharged.”

She said the deeper the deficit becomes, the more time and water is required to replenish low inventories.

So far, according to Cowie, it’s looking like a pretty dry summer is in store for much of coastal B.C., and if the severe drought continues through July and August, there would have to be near-record levels of precipitation in the fall and winter to get watershed levels back to normal.

“We can certainly hope to see some precipitation coming in, but that’s not in the near future yet. I’d just advise everyone to keep an eye on local conditions, and be aware we’re starting the summer with less water than we’d really like to have overall in our watersheds, and just be kind of mindful of that.”

Cowie warned the current trajectory could lead to drought conditions persisting well into next year.

— with files from Jon de Roo, 97.3 FM The Eagle

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