A historic drought plaguing northeast B.C.for more than a year has been downgraded due to recent wet weather, but adverse impacts are still possible, forecasters have warned.
Drought in the northeast has been at or near Level 5 since the fall of 2022, affecting food and power production in the region, which also powers much of the province.
On Thursday, the B.C. River Forecast Centre updated its drought watch, downgrading the Fort Nelson and North Peace watersheds from drought Level 4 — the second-highest level possible — to drought Level 3.
The East Peace and South Peace regions, which include Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, meanwhile, are at drought Level 4. That is a downgrade for the East Peace, which has been at drought Level 5, the highest possible, since November 2023. The South Peace has been at Level 4 since record-keeping resumed in May, after also being at Level 5 in the fall of 2023.
The B.C. government classifies a Level 4 drought as one where “adverse impacts to socio-economic or ecosystem values are likely,” while a Level 5 is when adverse impacts are “almost certain.”
The drought has had a particular impact on agricultural and energy production. Roughly 80 per cent of B.C. grain production occurs in the Peace, according to provincial figures, while oil and gas operations in the area are also highly reliant on water for fracking and other aspects of production.
As some parts of the province are still experiencing wintry weather, drought conditions persist, and it’s changing the way British Columbians live, work and source their food and power. Two people in northern B.C. with a vested interest in groundwater levels tell us how they’re managing.
It’s also affected energy production and dams in the region, forcing B.C. Hydro to import power from other jurisdictions.
The ongoing dryness has also posed a challenge to wildfire fighters, with multiple blazes that started in 2023 resurfacing this spring and posing a threat to nearby communities — as well as creating conditions ripe for new fires to take hold.
That was particularly evident in Fort Nelson earlier this year when a downed tree hit a wire and forced more than 4,500 residents to evacuate for more than two weeks.
In an interview with the Canadian Press, Mayor Rob Fraser said the community is feeling more comfortable after a week of wet weather and a downgraded drought threat, but that doesn’t mean they’re blind to the risk of wildfires that still exist in the region.
Fraser says plumes of smoke are still visible on hot days, and residents know that a stretch of hot, dry weather would be enough to increase fire behaviour again.
The mayor says the hot spots are burning “in the black,” meaning they are within the charred boundaries of previous fires and not spreading.
Fraser says the community is going ahead with Canada Day festivities this weekend, and tourists have been returning since the evacuation ended.
“I think those people, they just held off and now they’re coming. We see our campsite full, we’re seeing people walking around town; the museum is full of people,” he said.
“So we’re pretty optimistic as we look over our shoulders at where these fires are burning.”
The province is warning that warm weather and drought conditions this Canada Day long weekend could increase the risk of wildfires in the province.
A statement from the ministries of forests and emergency management says people should stay up-to-date on current conditions, follow fire bans and restrictions, and have an emergency plan that is shared with friends and family.
The latest information from the B.C. Wildfire Service Thursday says 93 wildfires are active in the province, including five that have started in the last 24 hours.