2015: Drought becomes British Columbia's top story

2015 was a watershed for drought awareness in BC. It is not a lake-elevation analog for today, but it is a significant Okanagan drought and a catalyst for the province’s modern drought-response framework.

Local government & infrastructure

• On Aug 5, 2015 the entire Okanagan Region was elevated to Drought Level 4 (the maximum), and the Province urged all water users - municipal, agricultural, industrial - to maximize conservation and to ensure water intakes were properly screened as levels dropped. [High] (source)
• OBWB and the Province stated that a 30% reduction in use by all Okanagan water purveyors would have a meaningful effect; individual utilities responded (e.g., Penticton reduced irrigation by 30%, RDOS called for a voluntary 30% reduction), with multiple communities implementing Stage 1-2 restrictions. [High] (source)
• Okanagan Lake dam operations required continued releases to meet licensed downstream (Okanagan River) needs even as the lake tracked ~15 cm below its Sept 1 target, illustrating the tight regulation margin (~1 m operating room) during the drought. [High] (source)
• By late September the Okanagan drought rating had eased back to Level 3 (some streams still flowing low), and the Board credited good management of stored water for helping the valley weather the drought. [High] (source)

Quality of life

• The 2015 fire season was far above normal: 916 fires had burned in BC by July 3, compared to the 10-year average of 537, coinciding with the Okanagan drought. [High] (source)
• Major August 2015 wildfires struck the south Okanagan/Boundary: the Testalinden Creek fire south of Oliver reached 1,566 hectares and the Wilson’s Mountain Road fire north of Oliver 317 hectares, together forcing evacuation of 371 homes; the nearby Rock Creek fire destroyed roughly 29-30 homes. [High] (source)
• The Rock Creek wildfire (east of the southern Okanagan) destroyed about 29 homes and additional structures and forced hundreds of evacuations; it was reported as human-caused. [Moderate] (source)
• Residents faced water restrictions and local watering bylaws under the Level 4 rating, with the Province directing residents to observe local water bylaws; recreational angling on Okanagan-area streams was closed, removing a summer recreation activity. [High] (source)
• At Level 4 the Province warned that further declines in stream, lake and aquifer levels could lead to water shortages affecting people, agriculture, wildlife and fish stocks; specific 2015 Okanagan agricultural/orchard/vineyard loss figures were not documented in retrieved sources. [Moderate] (source)

Environmental flow & fish

• Angling was suspended on the Okanagan River main stem (between Okanagan Lake and Osoyoos Lake) effective Aug 6, 2015 to protect fish stressed by high water temperatures and low flows; the closure order was set to run through Sept 30 but the river was reopened to angling as of Sept 16 as conditions cooled. [High] (source)
• Broader drought fishing closures covered the Similkameen drainage and the Kettle/West Kettle Rivers (effective Jul 15-Sep 15, 2015) plus streams across Wildlife Management Units 8-2 to 8-7 and 8-12 to 8-14, to protect fish vulnerable to low flows and high water temperatures; lake fishing remained open. [High] (source)
• DFO warned that low water levels and warm water temperatures were associated with severe stress and early mortality of migrating salmon; the Okanagan sockeye fishery was in very poor condition and closed to recreational fishers during the summer. [High] (source)
• The 2015 South Okanagan sockeye run - forecast to be one of the largest in recent history - collapsed under drought conditions: return estimates were cut to roughly 18,000-47,000 fish, with warm water and low levels causing physical stress, open wounds and fungal infection in migrating salmon and prompting cancellation of recreational/commercial sockeye fisheries. [Moderate] (source)

Sources: news.gov.bc.ca · obwb.ca · obwb.ca · obwb.ca · news.gov.bc.ca · cbc.ca · news.gov.bc.ca · cbc.ca · obwb.ca · waterbucket.ca · cbc.ca