File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)
Flood Watch

East Okanagan no longer on flood watch, high streamflow advisory remains for Southern Interior and Cariboo

Jun 6, 2022 | 6:02 AM

KAMLOOPS — The B.C. River Forecast Centre (BCRFC) downgraded its flood watch for the East Okanagan and Boundary.

In an update Sunday (June 5) at 1 p.m., the BCRFC says the rivers now under a high streamflow advisory include Spius Creek and the Lower Nicola River downstream of Spius Creek, as well as rivers and creeks in the East Okanagan, including the Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton areas.

BCRFC says the high streamflow advisory represents broad uncertainty. However, it notes there aren’t significant rises forecast as of Sunday’s update.

“Broadly speaking, hydrologic forecasts through the region for the next few days indicate steady or falling streamflow levels, with the provision that smaller systems could see a larger response than forecast due to local convective precipitation that is difficult to forecast,” BCRFC states. “Current rainfall forecasts through the region indicate the potential for further precipitation; however, the totally rainfall amounts are (at this time) less than forecast for the Friday-Saturday period. Precipitation can be difficult to forecast with precision at the watershed scale, with the potential that specific watersheds could see larger downpours.”

A low-pressure system brought unsettled weather and repeated periods of moderate to heavy rainfall across the South Interior region on Friday (June 3) and into Saturday (June 4), with areas around Merritt and the headwaters of the Nicola River seeing heavy precipitation.

Elsewhere, the BCRFC’s high streamflow advisory remains for much of the region, including the Nicola River and its upstream tributaries such as the Coldwater River, Similkameen River and the Tulameen River and surrounding tributaries, as well as the Salmon River near Salmon Arm.

The high streamflow advisory for the Cariboo on Thursday (June 2) – including the Deadman River, Bonaparte River and Cache Creek – remains in effect.

The BCRFC says “steady warming is leading to increasing snowmelt rates and river runoff.” The BCRFC goes on to say low- and mid-elevation snowpack has diminished, but high-elevation snowpack is still quite significant.