All that snow last winter and rain this spring means water levels in the Campbell River system are in good shape for the summer, according to BC Hydro.
“We went through a wet February and March period that put a good amount of snow up in the mountains,” BC Hydro spokesperson Stephen Watson said in a system update. “This led to a nice snowmelt this spring and early summer with good water inflows into the Campbell River system.
“Now near the end of July, water inflows have dropped off considerably, which is typical for this time of year. The monthly water inflow total into the system in May was 140 per cent, and in June, 103 per cent of normal. Our water supply forecast for the July to September period is for the run-off volume into the Campbell River system to be about 83 per cent of normal. Actual inflows will be based on the weather conditions.”
The Upper Campbell Reservoir/Buttle Lake is currently at 219.4 metres and holding steady. The reservoir was pushing near 220 metres at the end of June and into early July. The summer preferred zone for recreation on the reservoir is 217 metres to 220.5 metres, with the current level being ideal. The reservoir level is half of a meter higher than average for this time of year.
The Lower Campbell Reservoir/McIvor Lake is currently at 176.6 metres and holding steady. The summer preferred zone for recreation on this reservoir is 176.5 metres to 177.5 metres. The reservoir level is expected to operate within this range through the summer, with some fluctuations due to annual facility maintenance.
Water inflow into the Campbell River system this week is forecast to be around 40 cubic metres per second (m3/s).
The John Hart generating station is running at about 27 per cent of capacity and it will likely continue to operate at that level through the summer. This is a good water flow rate (40 m3/s) for Campbell River fish habitat for this time of year, Watson said. The water inflow rate is currently matching the downstream water discharge rate.
“Looking ahead, the Campbell River reservoirs and the lower river are expected to be within preferred levels and flow rates during the summer period,” Watson said. “We look to be in good shape for water abundance.”