Okanagan still facing severe drought conditions

Recent cooler and wetter weather has not been enough to offset the persistent drought conditions in the Okanagan.

As of Thursday, the B.C. River Forecast Centre had the Okanagan listed as Drought Level 4 on it’s severity index, and listed as High on it’s Water Scarcity rating.

The Okanagan was the only region across the province with a Drought Level 4 or above, and was joined by Similkameen, Coldwater River and Nicola River with the highest possible water scarcity rating.

Water levels at Okanagan and Kalamalka Lakes remained at record lows Thursday, and streamflows were also extremely low, which pose a risk to the aquatic ecosystems including salmon that have started migrating to the area for spawning season.