B.C. at high risk of province-wide drought this summer, authorities warn

Much of B.C. could face a long, significant drought this summer, according to provincial forecasters.

The warning is particularly worrying to those who depend on water for their livelihoods, such as cattle ranchers and the agricultural sector.

"What we've seen now from the past month of heat is that the high-elevation snow is rapidly depleting," said Jonathan Boyd, a hydrologist with B.C.'s River Forecast Centre. "We're on pace to be the earliest snow-free that the province has recorded.

"We've had just a phenomenal melt so far, and where it's a little bit scary is … we're moving into this year in a really precarious position."

The most recent B.C. Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin, released Thursday based on June 1 data, warned of "long-term, significant drought" unless there is substantial and sustained rainfall over the coming months.

According to provincial data, current snow levels are 29 per cent of what's normal for this time of year. That's down from 66 per cent just two weeks ago, indicating a very fast melt.

The possibility of a severe drought comes after high-temperature records for May were smashed in multiple communities across the province, causing faster and earlier snow melt than usual. 

While raging wildfires are top-of-mind for many in the province now, a prolonged drought could worsen the economic toll of this year's extreme hot and dry weather. 

'We are not going to starve our animals'

Previous droughts have hit the province's agriculture sector particularly hard, with many ranchers forced to cull many of their cattle because of food shortages going into winter.

"It's a little bit bleak out there right now as we look through the cracked crystal ball we've got," said Kevin Boon, general manager of the B.C. Cattlemen's Association, which represents ranchers. "And we don't know what's coming, but it's enough that we're concerned."

He said there are basically two main resources ranchers need to support their herds: grass for food, and water.

"If we don't get the rain to grow the grass, we have no choice but to reduce the amount of cattle we have," he told CBC News. "We are not going to starve our animals.

"Unfortunately when we see a widespread drought … often the only opportunity for that breeding stock is to send them to market and to be processed for food, and that is very challenging for our guys that have spent generations building herds."

In 2021, the provincial and federal governments announced increased supports for the ranching sector, including a more than $100-million boost to the joint AgriRecovery fund, supports for cattle relocated by wildfires, and a Wildfire Emergency Feed Program to offer two weeks of support for commercial livestock businesses without feed.

"In our industry we've developed a very good infrastructure for water storage," Boon, himself a long-time rancher, said. "Water storage is the key to everything out here right now, as we see climate change and climate adaptation — the more we store, the more we're able to manage."

The B.C. report released this week warns of "severe water availability concerns" for human use.

The drought concerns are especially for the province's Northeast, North Peace, Vancouver Island, South Coast, Southern Interior, Kootenay, and Columbia regions.

"If we continue this for another three or four months, we could be in a situation come September or October like we were last year, but potentially even worse," the River Forecast Centre's Boyd said.

"It becomes an issue for fish and and other stream ecosystems — and an issue for water availability and just extreme, extreme low flows."