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BC Hydro adjusts hydro operations due to low water levels

BC Hydro adjusts hydro operations due to low water levels

BC Hydro reports that fall conditions are colder and drier than normal, requiring adjustments to its hydro operations on the South Coast of British Columbia, Canada, to maintain flow levels and reduce the impact on downstream fish habitats. 

BC Hydro said it will be able to continue to meet electricity demand across the province this winter because of its large integrated hydroelectric system. However, it is recording historically low inflows at many of its smaller facilities in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island. On Vancouver Island, Comox experienced the lowest accumulated inflows from Oct. 1 to present for the past 60 years of records. In the Lower Mainland, most facilities are also seeing the lowest inflows on record. 

Cold and dry conditions like this have occurred in the past, but they are not seen often, and the fact that they have persisted so long is resulting in the record low inflows, BC Hydro said.

“The light precipitation this fall has not had a significant impact on our smaller facilities on the South Coast,” said Kevin Aquino, BC Hydro spokesperson. “In fact, some of the inflow reduction is associated with having earlier snowpack build because of unseasonable cold temperatures in November and December, which means the precipitation falling is not refilling the reservoirs. That is why we have been taking proactive steps for many months at some of our facilities to conserve water to protect the downstream fish habitat.”

BC Hydro’s reservoirs play an important role in managing difficult conditions by using storage and planning releases to provide protection to downstream river flows. While many of BC Hydro’s smaller systems in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island are under pressure, it is able to continue to meet demand for electricity. Most of the electricity generated and used in B.C. is produced by larger facilities in the north and southeast of the province. While water levels in those areas are below normal levels, there is enough water in its reservoirs to meet the province’s power need.

Forecasts are showing no rain or snow melt in the near-term on the South Coast. However, historical records indicate that rain and additional snowmelt run-off typically show up across January and February. This would increase reservoir levels before the normal spring snowmelt.

BC Hydro has plans in place to manage flows through this period to help protect downstream fish and has taken steps to support that. For example, in October, BC Hydro installed pumps on the Quinsam River on Vancouver Island to prevent the river from separating and drying up in an effort to protect the fish habitat. This emergency project was successful by maintaining the downstream flows and keeping critical habitat wetted. BC Hydro will continue to adjust its operations until conditions improve. That includes conserving water and releasing less in order to sustain flows through the cold dry period.

More than 90% of BC Hydro’s generation is produced by hydroelectric power. The company generates more than 43,000 GWh of electricity annually to supply roughly 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers.