River levels and rain forecasts at 'unprecedented' lows in most of B.C.

Parts of the province are seeing unprecedented lack or rainfall and low streamflow levels, according to the latest wildfire and drought update from the provincial government.

A majority of sites in the province are measuring an extremely low percentile of their usual levels.

"On the streamflow side of things, somewhere in the order of [a little less than] one-third of the stations across the province are at record-low flow," River Forecast Centre head Dave Campbell told reporters at a news conference Thursday.

"We haven't seen this kind of condition before in most of the province."

There is rain in the forecast for some parts of northern B.C. this weekend, bringing the possibility of much-needed reprieve for crews fighting the most destructive wildfire season in B.C.'s modern history.

However, Campbell said the predicted precipitation of 10 to 20 millilitres, or 50 on the higher end, is not enough to correct the current deficit.

Maps shared through the British Columbia Drought Information Portal show that more than half of B.C. is at the worst end of the provincial scale measuring drought levels.

As of July 20, eight out of 34 water basins in the province are at Drought Level 5, the highest level on the scale. Those water basins, located mostly in the northeast of the province, cover about 530,000 square kilometres of land — more than half of B.C.'s total land mass.

Campbell said that along with the record lows, the dry season has also arrived far earlier than normal.

"Last year, it really wasn't until the fall … that we reached any Level 5 [alerts]. In 2021, we did reach a few areas of Level 5 droughts, but really didn't persist there or start to emerge until later in August," he said.

"[In] most areas, we're sitting currently somewhere between a month and a half to two months earlier than normal. So we're seeing conditions now that are typical in September."

Campbell said areas under Drought Level 5 could see impacts to water supplies for livestock and agriculture. Fish habitats can also be affected, and rising water temperatures can lead to increased fish mortality.

There have already been significant impacts to agricultural producers in the province, said Ministry of Agriculture representative Mark Raymond. 

"So our unirrigated dry land farming, which we see more so in the central northern part of the province, primarily on hay production is really being impacted the greatest. Right now we're seeing areas where hay production is in the range of about 50 per cent of what it typically would be," Raymond said.

Hoping for 'season-ending rain event'

Although the predicted rain over the weekend may make it easier for fire crews in the northern part of the province, B.C. Wildfire Service director of wildlife operations Cliff Chapman said hot and dry weather in the south means conditions are ripe for larger fires like the St. Mary's River wildfire, which has grown rapidly into Thursday.

Chapman said the arrival of several hundred more firefighters from places like Brazil, Mexico and the USA will alleviate pressure in the north.

He said occasionally in northern B.C., crews see a "season-ending rain event" in early July or August.

"That would be what I would hope for, is the season-ending rain event for the north. It's not forecast right now," he said.

"That's something that we continue to look for as we look at the long-term [forecast]."