Drought levels in the Elk and Creston Valley are at level three out of five as the B.C. government opens up monitoring operations in the region.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre says its scale measures local dryness, which ranges from zero (normal or wetter than normal conditions) to five (extreme, severe drought).
Conditions may change in the weeks ahead as drought levels depend on several factors, including snowpack melt, precipitation and streamflow levels.
“Weather is the critical factor as we go forward here. Spring and summer weather is crucial for where we’re going to see river conditions, and spring is the wet season for the Interior,” said David Campbell, head of the BC River Forecast Centre.
“Adverse conditions we’re looking out for are things like prolonged hot and dry weather.”
Snowpack levels in the East Kootenay have dropped significantly in a short period of time; from 62 per cent of normal on May 1 down to 32 per cent on May 15.
“We’re seeing higher-than-normal streamflows for this time of year. That’s really being driven by a bit of an early melt from low-to-mid elevations as well as some wet weather,” said Campbell.
Drought levels in the Kootenay River and Upper Columbia water basins have not been reported yet.
As conditions get drier, wildfire risk increases alongside it and Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness recommend doing what you can to prepare.
“Everyone has a role to play, and a starting point is creating a household emergency plan and grab-and-go bag,” said Greene.
“In urgent situations, people may receive an alert through cell phones, radio and television. I encourage people to bookmark EmergencyInfoBC and their local government website for verified emergency information.”
Regional District of East Kootenay Board Chair Rob Gay says weather conditions over the coming weeks will determine what is to come for the summer.
“June is usually the key month for us. If you get a wet June, you can usually make it through part of July, but if you get a dry June, you might be in trouble,” said Gay.
You can see up-to-date drought information here.
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