Drought levels across the Kootenays fluctuated over the last week with some areas seeing lower drought levels while others went back up.
The Elk-Flathead Valleys region’s streak of drought Level 0 has ended after four straight weeks. The region is now back to Level 1.
The Upper Columbia region has stayed at Level 0 for the second week in a row, the Upper Arrow Lakes area has gone from Level 2 to Level 0 and the Kootenay Lake West Arm is down from Level 1 to Level 0.
The Kootenay River region is still at Level 1 as well as the Slocan-Lower Columbia and Kettle River regions.
The Creston area has the Kootenay’s highest drought levels going from Level 2 to Level 3.
Wildfire operations director with the BC Wildfire Service Cliff Chapman said there hasn’t been as many long stretches of hot weather this summer which has helped with drought levels and wildfire risk.
“We haven’t had the prolonged heat wave or heat dome,” he said.
“We’re very fortunate as a agency and as a province that when we get our hot 35 degree plus weather, we’re only seeing it for five, seven maybe nine days and then we’re seeing that precipitation.”
The next regional drought update will be on Aug. 29.
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