Low water levels affecting salmon migration in B.C. streams: DFO

Low water levels brought on by years of severe drought, paired with meagre snowpack and rainfall, are leaving B.C.'s salmon in a compromising position during their spawning migration, a fisheries expert warns.

Low water levels brought on by years of severe drought, paired with meagre snowpack and rainfall, are leaving B.C.'s salmon in a compromising position during their spawning migration, a fisheries expert warns.

Researchers are also trying to understand the effects of last year's devastating wildfires in B.C.

Salmon need a steady stream of cool, fresh water to survive and reach their spawning grounds, but Murray Manson, the section head of the Fisheries Department's Habitat Restoration Centre of Expertise, told a briefing Friday that he is expecting fish to start appearing in some low-water areas.

"We're trying to be prepared for some of the issues that might arise," he said.

Concerns persist despite a cool spring that left B.C. in a more "fortunate" position than expected, Manson noted.

"We've gotten off easy so far, I would say, in terms of the drought and its impacts on fish," he said.

Some regions, like the Fraser River basin, that were predicted to see historically low salmon runs are currently in a state of "wait and see," Manson said.