FORT ST. JOHN -- The Premier of British Columbia says he is worried about the on-going drought in Northeast BC,
Premier David Eby says BC is seeing "some of the most dramatic drought conditions that have been seen in our lifetime, especially in Northeast BC,''
The provincial snowpack has remained extremely low since the beginning of February, according to B.C.'s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.
Across the Peace Region, snow levels are 22 per cent below normal.
Across BC, snow levels are 39 per cent below normal, drastically worse than this time last year, when levels were still 19 per cent below normal, according to a B.C. River Forecast Centre report released Thursday.
“We’ve seen some low snowpack years here and there," said Aaron Hill, executive director of Watershed Watch Salmon Society. "This is the lowest I remember ever seeing it.
Hill is urging governments to make proactive drought plans, encourage conservation and "crack down on illegal water use."
He also pointed to healthy forests as an excellent way to preserve snow melts.
“We need to keep trees on land, that buffers the snow melt and makes the snow pack last longer," Hill said.
With recent wildfires, bug infestations and logging, Hill said he's concerned about how quickly what’s left of the snow could melt.
With files from Abigail Turner, CTV News Vancouver
