November 14, 2024: Kalamalka Lake Water Levels Update
Kalamalka Lake doesn’t just look low; it is low, and the main reason is multi-year droughts impacting the region.
Responding to requests from the District of Coldstream, Shaun Reimer, a professional engineer and head of Public Safety & Protection for the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, explained in an email that the Ministry has been trying to conserve as much water as possible despite limited inflows.
Kalamalka Lake is especially affected by the drought because its watershed lies at a lower elevation than Okanagan Lake, which is fed from a higher-altitude watershed with a greater snowpack.
Kalamalka Lake and Duteau Creek are essential water sources for the area, and to maintain seasonal reservoir levels, the flow from Duteau Creek to Kalamalka Lake is being restricted.
Outflow from Kalamalka Lake has been kept very low, but evaporation and withdrawals for irrigation and waterworks continue to reduce lake levels. Reimer added that the ministry will continue to capture water during winter and spring.
Looking ahead, weather predictions are uncertain, but a possible La Niña event could mean a colder and wetter winter, which may help raise water levels.
Reimer emphasized that the Ministry is closely monitoring the situation
Kalamalka Lake Is Low
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