The level of Okanagan Lake is controlled by this dam at Penticton.

(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)

Okanagan Lake is below where Shaun Reimer would like it to be heading into the spring freshet.

As section head, public safety and protection, for the Ministry of Forests, it’s his job to regulate the amount of water flowing out of the lake and into the Okanagan River system in Penticton.

During last summer’s drought, he did have concerns that the lake would drop below the 2003 drought level but, heavy rain in the fall and some warm weather that melted lower elevation snow meant the lake didn’t keep dropping but actually rose a couple of centimetres over the past few months.

READ MORE: Okanagan Lake nearing its lowest level in at least 20 years

Still, with the Okanagan snowpack at 92% of normal, the challenge will be to get the lake filled up again by summer.

“Sometimes it’s good knowing you have a low snowpack because it makes the decision making easier,” Reimer told iNFOnews.ca. “We just know we will have minimal outflows from Okanagan Lake and Kalamalka Lake for the next few months and through the freshet period so we will try to capture as much water as we can – taking into consideration the fish stations and irrigation and those things as well – but we won’t feel the need to release water to deal with potential flooding.”

That, of course, could all change like it did in 2020, when there was a low snowpack as well. That year he tried to fill the lake then the region was hit by heavy rains in May and June that brought it above full pool.

“Then, going forward to 2021, I’m thinking I’m going to be even more conservative,” Reimer said. “Instead of getting double the rain in May, we had no rain in May. I tried to keep the lake lower because of what happened the year before.”

READ MORE: Battling floods and droughts in the Okanagan depends on more than a dam in Penticton

The dry May was followed by the record breaking heat dome and summer drought that dropped the lake far too low for his liking.

Reimer doesn’t expect there to be “volume” flooding this year, meaning the lakes likely won’t rise to above full pool.

What he is concerned about, however, is how the snow melt will impact streams, especially on the west side of Okanagan Lake where there were massive wildfires last year. That could trigger localized flooding.

READ MORE: Wildfires mean Okanagan Lake could see algae blooms this summer

And, while there is always the risk of heavy rains in May and June, there’s also a risk of a multi-year drought, such as happened in 1929-31. If he doesn’t collect as much water as needed this spring, there are risks of serious damage to agriculture and other industries if there is another drought.

While it’s still early in February, it would take three or four major snowfalls to bring the snowpack up to normal, Reimer said.

And, given unseasonably warm weather, the snow could be melting earlier than usual. Mission Creek, which is the largest single source of water going into Okanagan Lake, is now more likely to hit its peak flows in April rather than in May or June as in the past.

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