People living on East Vancouver Island, West Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii are all being asked to reduce water consumption where possible and to adhere to watering restrictions issued by local and regional governments, water service providers or irrigation districts. “Hot temperatures, continued sunshine and a lack of recent rainfall have increased water temperatures in many Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii streams,” the department said in a news release. “Warmer water temperatures and lack of precipitation may affect late summer fish rearing conditions in streams and may affect the timing of salmon spawning migration.”
Drought level 4
On the island, the Tsolum River watershed near Courtenay is experiencing the worst effects of current conditions and is at drought level 4. The province ranks drought levels from 0 to 5, with drought level 5 being the most severe and almost guaranteeing negative socio-economic impacts and negative impacts on local ecosystems. You can see current conditions across BC. on the government’s drought information portal. Daytime temperatures in the Courtenay region were 22 degrees Sunday and are expected to reach as high as 28 degrees by Tuesday, according to Environment Canada. In late April, the Tsolum River Restoration Society said it was already concerned about the effects warmer and shallower water levels in the river were having on salmon migration and spawning. Volunteers said they regularly found dead young fish, and adults were also more vulnerable to predation due to the drought conditions.
Report dead or missing fish
BC says after heat warnings in recent months, there have been reports of fish dying or stranding. The high temperatures also led to the closure of most streams on eastern Vancouver Island until August 31st. Stranded or dead fish can be reported to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1 877 952-7277. Across the rest of the province, drought conditions are not as severe, although the Kettle River basin, which stretches from Lake Keefer in the Monashee Mountains of the Central Okanagan to Rock Creek near the US border, is at Level 3. The Forestry Ministry says voluntary reductions in water use already in place in some areas have prevented drought conditions from increasing and prevented the need for more regulation. Provincial staff are closely monitoring the situation and if conservation proves ineffective on Vancouver Island, the province said it could issue temporary protection orders under the Water Sustainability Act to prevent serious or irreversible damage to aquatic ecosystems.
