There was a day when Wally and I were discussing how low the Okanagan River was that year. It was then when he told me that one year, he didn’t say which year, the river was so low that he could jump over the stream.
That year was before clear cut logging became forest management policy. There were fewer people in the Valley then and a lot less industry.
I think it is safe to assume that the snow pack that year was very small and the mountains absorbed most of the water.
The day Wally and I were in discussion was when clear cut logging was being done. Wally’s major concern was that the clear cutting of the water sheds would allow the snow pack to quickly melt and run off early leaving bone dry creeks in the heat of summer.
Looking at Google maps of the water shed for McIntyre Creek, you’ll see a great many patches of clear cutting activity, and that is just one creek. There are many more creeks that feed the Okanagan Valley water system. Most of the water sheds have had their share of clear cutting.
We are at the mercy of the weather. If the warming trend continues in the coming years, there may be less mountain snow resulting in lower lake levels. With a growing population and more industry coming on-stream, we may be in for some tough times.