Low snowpack heading into summer, concerns about drought in Okanagan [Video]

Creeks are strong now, but after a warm April, the Okanagan’s early snowmelt could lead to problems come summer.

Smaller creeks might be at risk of running dry this summer, experts predict.

“Looking at natural systems, smaller creeks, there is going to be the potential that they’ll get into the lower flow or lower than the critical environmental flow needs for rivers and even some of the smaller creeks have the potential to run dry,” said Jonathan Boyd, a hydrologist with the River Forecast Centre.

According to the May snowpack bulletin, provincially, the snowpack has dropped from 79 per cent to 71 per cent of normal since April, with the Southern Interior seeing the sharpest declines. Snowpack levels in the Okanagan, in particular, have dropped from 82 per cent to just 67 per cent of normal.

While no major heat waves are expected in the coming weeks, experts are holding …