Okanagan stays at Drought Level 3 for fifth week

The local drought conditions are unchanged for the fifth straight week.

The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship ranked the Okanagan at Drought Level 3 on Thursday.

Under Level 3, conditions could create adverse impacts to the socio-economic and ecosystem values. People are advised to follow all local water restrictions and are encouraged to conserve water.

The region’s drought rating was unchanged despite Environment Canada reporting 15.8 millimetres of precipitation in Vernon over the previous seven days. There was also 12.7 mm of rain in Kelowna and 2.7 mm in Penticton over that period.

There were few changes to the other regional drought conditions in the surrounding areas as of the update Thursday.

The South, North and Lower Thompson conditions were all unchanged at Drought Level 3, though the Similkameen area did see conditions improve from Level 4 to Level 3.

While the weather has been somewhat seasonal and a little wet this summer, the province is still quite dry.

“While the rain has been a welcome relief for some regions, drought remains a serious concern in other parts of B.C.,” Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, said during the provincial wildfire update Wednesday.

“Vancouver Island and the Bulkley-Lakes and Upper Fraser West regions have all reached Drought Level 5, which of course is the most severe drought level we have. A little more than a quarter of British Columbia is at Drought Level 4, and 21 per cent sits at Drought Level 3, putting strains on ecosystems, aquifers, and local communities right across the province.”

Cullen added that even though there has been some rain across the province, he urged people still try to conserve water wherever possible, stating these actions can help protect watershed security, stream flows for fish, and agriculture operations.

He also noted that “aquifers don’t recharge because of one or two rainfalls,” and there remains the possibility of water restrictions being implemented in communities across the province should local conditions worsen.