This is a quick summary of some of the climate and river conditions in the Boundary region, and how we compare to 2015. As we saw last weekend, the Boundary rivers rely on rain to both stabilize and increase our water levels. Last weekend’s rain and cooler temperatures was helpful in so many ways, now let’s hope we get some more.
The Kettle River Watershed is at Provincial Drought Level 5. The Province will be reviewing all watershed drought levels tomorrow. Realize that this is one drought level for the entire Kettle River Watershed, so some areas within the watershed may be experiencing higher water levels than others. That being said, many streams in the Boundary seems to be very low for this time of year.
To find out what the mandatory water restrictions are for your water system, speak with your water supplier (who you pay for your water). If you pay your water bill to the Province of BC (so have a Province of BC water licence), you should have received a letter requesting voluntary reductions of non-essential water use. If you have a BC water licence and did not receive this letter, contact FrontCounterBC@gov.bc.ca. Know that water for domestic use and fire protection is considered essential.
Remember, most of us are using water from the same watershed, so our use impacts the bigger picture. Every drop counts – use your water wisely. To read or download this report in it’s entirety, which includes maps, charts and graphs, click here.
Stay WaterSmart and FireSmart in the Boundary Region.
Sincerely, Kristina Anderson | Watershed Planner RDKB
watershedplanner@rdkb.com | Direct: 250.442.4111
A few links…
BC Drought Information Portal: https://governmentofbc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=838d533d8062411c820eef50b08f7ebc
BC Observation Well: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/water/groundwater-wells-aquifers/groundwater-observation-well-network/groundwater-level-data-interactive-map
North America Water Watch: https://watermonitor.gov/naww/index.php
Water Survey of Canada: https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/google_map/google_map_e.html?map_type=real_time&search_type=province&province=BC
ECCC Forecasting: https://weather.gc.ca/saisons/prob_e.html
BC Government Drought: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/water/drought-flooding-dikes-dams/drought-information
RDKB Drought Response Plan: https://rdkb.com/Portals/0/Planning/WatershedPlanning/DRP_2021_v1.pdf?ver=2021-07-14-155530-357