Okanagan Lake at Kin Beach in Vernon (Vernon Matters file photo)

By Liam Verster

Severe Drought Conditions

Okanagan Lake level below target as drought rating remains high

Oct 23, 2025 | 11:40 AM

The lack of any significant rainfall recently has led to the severe drought conditions persisting well into the fall, and its having an impact on the local ecosystems.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre said the Okanagan Drought Rating was held at Level 3 (of 5) Thursday, Oct. 23.

The regional drought rating remained elevated as there has been minimal precipitation in the Okanagan.

Environment Canada said there was just 6.4 milimetres of precipitation in Vernon over the previous seven days, and just 7.2 mm of rainfall in Kelowna over those days. To date, Vernon had recorded just 10.1 mm of rainfall this October, while Kelowna had seen 10.3 mm.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre said “severe drought conditions” continued to persist, and that the “late season drought conditions have lowered Okanagan Lake outflows and lake levels below seasonal targets.”

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The agency also said the “multi-year drought in the Northeast and Southern Interior is placing increasing pressure on community drinking water supplies.”

The River Forecast Centre did note that the cooler temperatures in the Salmon River and Bessette Creek have alleviated concerns about fish passage, but the ongoing drought was causing low streamflows across the province and raising more concerns about salmon spawning in B.C. this year.

The short term forecast calls for temperatures to continue to drop across B.C. and more storms on the the coast, though the agency said the spillover rain and snow from those systems into the Interior were expected to be minimal in the coming week.