Okanagan Lake levels not expected to reach full pool

Although the Okanagan has seen more rain over the last few weeks, it is still not enough to have a significant impact on lake levels.

Okanagan officials are carefully monitoring lake levels across the region as we enter into a second year of drought conditions.

Water levels in Okanagan Lake are still rising, but not expected to reach full pool this season.

“We are about 31 cm away from our target level. I don’t believe that we will reach our target level, that people commonly known as full pool, which is 342.48 metres above sea level,” said Penticton’s dam manager Shaun Reimer.

“Better, we could be a lot better. And of course, if we go into the winter with a lower Lake, then we’ll have concerns about next year.”

According to Reimer with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, this is because the snow melt has almost finished.

And although the Okanagan has seen more rain over the last few weeks, it is still not enough to have a significant impact on lake levels.

“We would need a lot of rain at this point to bring us up there and I’m not seeing that at least in the short-term forecast,” said Reimer.

If Okanagan Lake does not meet full pool, the immediate impact would be felt along the Okanagan River.