Deep snow good for most B.C. regions

Record January snow levels in parts of B.C. mean relief from drought conditions in northern parts of the province, but not necessarily increased flood risk during the spring runoff.

The latest province-wide survey found all-time high snow levels at several locations on Vancouver Island, the south coast and the Skeena and Nechako basins. Snow was also well above normal for this time of year in the Similkameen, Kootenay, Columbia and much of northern B.C.

“It’s too early in the winter for us to be talking too much about flooding,” said Allan Chapman, spokesman for the B.C. environment ministry’s river forecast centre.” Right now we’ve accumulated about half of the winter snow.”

If heavy snowfall continues until spring, then the potential for a high spring runoff increases. But Chapman notes that snow levels are not the only factor. Last spring’s flooding in the Kootenays came from an average snowpack, which melted rapidly with an unusual week of hot weather in May.

B.C. is experiencing a mild El Nino winter, influenced by warm water from the southern Pacific Ocean. Chapman said that generally suggests that the latter part of the winter will be warmer and drier than normal, but there’s no guarantee that the wild weather of this winter isn’t going to continue.

The Peace River basin already has more snow than it had at the end of last winter, a welcome change from recent drought years. Last year was the driest on record for the region, with hay and other crops drastically reduced. After dry years in 2003 and 2004, the Peace region had near normal precipitation in 2005 before the drought returned.

Heavy snow accumulations on the coast and Vancouver Island are mostly good news. Chapman said coastal areas aren’t subject to flooding from snow melt, because even the most rapid spring runoff doesn’t produce the volume of water that can be delivered by heavy coastal rainfall.

What the heavy snowpacks do provide is ample water for reservoirs that serve Victoria, Greater Vancouver and other coastal population centres. They also feed hydroelectric reservoirs and provide for increased summertime flows that protect fish habitat.

If a heavy spring runoff does materialize, it is a concern particularly for major rivers including the Fraser, Thompson and Skeena. On the lower Fraser, the accumulation of gravel in the riverbed increases flood risk.

Construction of dikes along the river to protect communities has also had the effect of keeping gravel and sediment in the riverbed, instead of letting it spread out across flood plains.

B.C. and the federal government signed an agreement in 2004 to allow removal of up to 500,000 tonnes of gravel per year from the Fraser River. But Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Randy Hawes says the maximum has never been removed, and this year he doesn’t expect any gravel to be taken out because of strict conditions imposed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to protect habitat.

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