BRITISH COLUMBIA’S NEW CLIMATE REALITY: “This is the fifth year of a pattern of drought that used to be something seen every 10 or 20 years,” stated David Campbell, Hydrologist & Section Head, BC River Forecast Centre (June 2019)
Note to Reader:
British Columbia’s climate is changing; and change is occurring at a rate much faster than anticipated. Looking back, 2015 marks the beginning of a ‘new normal’ which is defined by recurring extremes. Floods, drought, forest fires and windstorms – all are happening within the same year, and year after year.
In 2019, British Columbians are now in Year 5 of this new reality: warmer, wetter winters; longer, drier summers. Droughts, dwindling snow packs, melting glaciers, beleaguered salmon runs and costly forest fire seasons are followed by windstorms and heavy rains. Clearly, we have crossed an invisible threshold into a different hydro-meteorological regime.
B.C. drought fears surge as rivers dry up across the province
Extreme hot dry weather has left streams and rivers across the province running low and that’s creating drought conditions more commonly seen in late July, reported CBC in an article posted on June 13, 2019.
On June 12, temperature records for many places in B.C. were broken — with highs not seen in some spots in a century. CBC reported that provincial drought monitors say this kind of weather is leaving many waterways at record-low flows, fuelling fears over everything from fire risks to salmon survival.
According to David Campbell, who heads the River Forecast Centre for the province, seeing drought ratings this high in June raises obvious concerns for July and August.
“If this kind of weather persists, we are going to be in challenging situations as we get into the later part of the summer,” said Campbell who urges people to start conserving now, especially in places that rely on local streams or rivers.
JUNE 2019: The map of drought levels in B.C. already shows 3 zones as very dry (orange): East Vancouver Island, West Vancouver Island and Fort Nelson. Most of the rest of the province is colour-coded yellow, the rating for dry. (Province of BC)
To Learn More:
To read the complete CBC story, download a copy of B.C. drought fears surge as rivers dry up across the province
Also, take a moment to read OUR CHANGING CLIMATE: British Columbia is in Year 5 of its ‘new reality’
Then, continuing reading to learn more about what is in store for British Columbia in the coming months: ‘Abnormally dry’ conditions across Pacific Northwest could spell long wildfire season for British Columbia
Finally, reflect on what Bob Sandford has to say: LEARNING FROM THE BURNING: “We keep talking about adaptation in service of resilience; but more than that we need to adapt now for what is to come,” stated Bob Sandford, Canada’s Winston Churchill of Water
Meet David Campbell
David Campbell works for the B.C. River Forecast Centre as a professional Hydrologist and Geoscientist.
In the first YouTube video clip below, David speaks to the role of the River Forecast Centre and their work with Emergency Management BC.
In the second clip, he explains the science of snowpacks and managing flood risk.
In the third, he corrects general misconceptions as to what is “The 100 Year Flood”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUP0LfCPxDo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSfseKyy8rk