by Timothy Schafer
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nelson Daily
One of the city’s water sources has been given a severe drought designation by the province as hot and dry weather continues in the region.
According to BC River Forecast Centre (BCRFC) data, drought level five conditions now exist at the Anderson Creek reporting station near Nelson, as it recorded 10 per cent of its median flow over the last week.
BCRFC ranks drought levels from zero to five, with drought level five rated as the most severe, with “adverse impacts to socioeconomic or ecosystem values being almost certain.”
But the primary water source for the city is Five Mile Creek — located in the West Arm Wilderness Park — with Anderson and Selous Creek serving as its secondary seasonal sources.
Even so, one week ago the city instituted stage three watering restrictions for Nelsonites to limit usage and conserve the volume obtained from its primary source.
The Nelson water flow situation contrasts with the rest of the region. To the northwest a reporting station on the Slocan River near Crescent Valley reported 65 per cent of its median flow (drought level three).
Heading east the situation improves immensely, with Duhamel Creek at drought level zero (216 per cent of median flow), Redfish Creek near Harrop is 326 per cent of median flow (drought level zero) and Lemon Creek in mid-Slocan Valley at 91 per cent of median flow (drought level zero).
Despite the water flow, the BCRFC is cautioning that drought conditions will continue to impact the entire West Kootenay and Lower Columbia basin around Castlegar, which are currently at drought level four as a whole.
“Most of these areas have experienced little to no rainfall over the last five weeks, with continued dry weather in the forecast,” a release from the BCFRC on Wednesday noted.
The drought conditions impact people’s ability to water their yards and increase the threat of an interface wildfire near Nelson, but also freshwater fishing. On Thursday, due to increased stress to fish from low flows and high water temperatures, the province closed some creeks to fishing in Region 4, which includes Nelson.
Until Sept. 15 the following streams and all their tributaries are closed to fishing: Michel Creek (excluding Alexander Creek and its tributaries), Morrissey Creek, Lizard Creek, Coal Creek, Sand Creek and the St. Mary River (from the outlet of St. Mary Lake to its confluence with the Kootenay River), and all streams in management units 4-3 to 4-9 (except the main stem of the Columbia and Kootenay rivers).
