Low snowpack has major implications for B.C. salmon

There are major concerns about how bad the drought will be this year in B.C. and what it will mean for salmon.

Aaron Hill, executive director of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, can’t remember when he was so concerned about snowpack levels in this province.

“We could get lucky and have a nice wet, rainy spring and summer and it could take a lot of the sting out of this, but if it’s not, then we’re in trouble,” he said.

The society says last year’s drought killed off a lot of fish and the warm water can be deadly for salmon.

Hill is not the only person who’s worried.

On Thursday, Premier David Eby voiced his concerns about the situation.

“Knowing that water levels behind dams for hydro are low, knowing that farmers didn’t have enough water to grow feed for their cattle this summer, knowing the forest-fire impacts we’ve seen, I am really worried about the summer that’s coming up,” stressed Eby.

He called it, “some of the most dramatic drought conditions that have been seen in our lifetime.”

The province’s average snowpack right now is about 40 per cent lower than normal, and that’s bad for salmon, as they rely heavily on snowmelt to feed into streams and rivers, which affects spawning.

Dave Campbell, head of the BC River Forecast Centre, says rain is the solution. We need it to help alleviate the pressure and risks of a low snowpack.

“We’re about two-thirds of the way through the snow accumulation season, so there’s another couple of months where things could change a little bit,” he said.

However, he adds the anticipated forecast is for more warm weather.

“It’s unlikely we’re going to make up that huge gap that we have in the snow,” said Campbell.

“Certainly, that’s going to put pressure on the streamflows as we come into the spring and summer, less water, volume to come down. If that warmth continues, it can also push an early snowmelt, which would also be concerning for the drought season.”

Campbell says the highest level of concern is around the coast, including along “Vancouver Island and the South Coast, where the snowpack is much, much lower than normal.”

Drought is just one potential extreme weather disaster awaiting British Columbians.

In 2023, B.C. saw drought conditions not seen in years, which was the steppingstone to a brutal, record-setting wildfire season. Despite the fact it’s winter, there are still almost 100 fires that continue to smoulder around the province, all off them leftovers from last year.

“This marks the year when I learned that fires can actually burn underneath snow, I didn’t know that was a thing,” said Eby.

The B.C. government has been working to develop a watershed security strategy, which is expected to be released later this year.

The next snow bulletin is scheduled to be released in early March.

-With files from Liza Yuzda and The Canadian Press