Drought is affecting much of British Columbia, including many parts of the southern and central interior.

Drought is affecting most of southern British Columbia and the central Interior due to very low rainfall, exacerbated by the recent extreme heat wave.

Drought conditions are affecting many streams and rivers across the southern half of the province, resulting in very low water flows, particularly in the south Okanagan and Vancouver Island regions.

A Level 4 drought rating is being implemented for the Coldwater River watershed in response to extremely low stream conditions.

Below-normal stream flows and signs of drought in smaller streams have caused the Province to declare a Level 3 drought rating for the Fort Nelson area.

With weather conditions expected to remain warm and dry in the coming week, dropping water levels have prompted the Province to announce a Level 3 drought rating for Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

The BC Wildfire Service is responding to several wildfires within the Cassiar Fire Zone of the Northwest Fire Centre and is preparing for potential new wildfire activity in the region, due to higher-than-normal temperatures and drought conditions.

Over 2,000 range agreement holders in British Columbia can now use an online system called MyRangeBC to more easily create, update and manage their range use plans.

Despite rainfall over the past few weeks, streamflows in the central and northern regions of British Columbia are well below normal and continue to decline.