International
Osoyoos Lake Board of Control
Public Meeting
Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum
October 8, 2015
Presented
by
Bruno Tassone, Chair, Canadian Section
Marijke van Heeswijk, Secretary, U.S. Section
John Arterburn, Member, U.S. Section
Osoyoos Lake Board of Control
United States Section
Cynthia Barton, Chair
Canadian Section
Bruno Tassone, Chair
U.S. Geological Survey
Environment Canada (retired)
John Arterburn
Glen Davidson
B.C. Ministry of FLNRO
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Res.
Sue McKortoff
Col. John Buck
Mayor, Town of Osoyoos
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Brian Symonds
Kris Kauffman
B.C. Ministry of FLNRO (retired)
Anna Warwick-Sears
Water Rights, Inc.
Ford Waterstrat
Okanagan Basin Water Board
Lake Osoyoos Association
Secretariat
Gwyn Graham
Environment Canada
Marijke van Heeswijk
U.S. Geological Survey
Expanded Board Membership
• Canadian Section
– Sue McKortoff (Mayor, Town of Osoyoos)
– Anna Warwick-Sears (Okanogan Basin Water Board)
• U.S. Section
– John Arterburn
(Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation)
– Ford Waterstrat (Lake Osoyoos Association)
IJC and Osoyoos Lake Board of Control
• IJC issued Orders of Approval
for managing Osoyoos Lake
levels
(1946, 1978, 1982, 1985, 2013)
• Lake levels are generally
regulated by Zosel Dam,
located near Oroville, Wash.
• IJC appointed Osoyoos Lake
Board of Control to monitor
provisions of the Orders
Current Zosel Dam, constructed in 1987
near site of original dam (constructed in 1927)
Osoyoos Lake Rule Curve
Columbia R.
Okanagan/Okanogan
&
Similkameen River
Watersheds
Okanagan Lake Dam
Similkameen R.
Okanagan R.
Osoyoos Lake
Okanogan R.
Columbia R.
Diagram of System
General streamflow
Okanagan Lake Regulation
System (OLRS)
Transborder-collaboration points
for system operations
Okanagan Lake
Major Dam
Skaha Lake
Minor Dam
Vaseux Lake
Minor Dam
CANADA
US
Osoyoos Lake
Minor Dam
Zosel Dam
Okanogan
River
Hydrologic Conditions in 2015
The year of the double whammy
Below average snowpack accumulation
followed by
a warm and dry spring and summer
March 1, 2015
April 1, 2015
Snow
Peak
Pillow
Snowpack
Number Accumulation
(% of average)
Timing of
Snowmelt
Initiation
(# weeks early)
Timing of
Snowmelt
Completion
(# weeks early)
1
70
0
4
2
75
5
4
3
80
0
3
2
1. Blackwall Peak
2. Brenda Mines
3. Mission Creek
1
3
Okanagan Lake Water-Surface Levels
2015 peak: 1,123.31 ft, June 5-6
Average peak: 1,123.20 ft, June 28-29
Drought criterion: 1,122.6 ft
2015
Average (1944-2014, 71 yrs)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
2015 record includes
provisional data
Monthly Net Inflows to Okanagan Lake
Okanagan River at Oliver (inflows to Osoyoos Lake)
2015
Average (1944-2014, 71 yrs)
Jan
Feb Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
2015 record includes
provisional data
Similkameen River at Nighthawk
(confluence downstream from Zosel Dam)
Average (1929-2014, 86 yrs)
W
W
W
w
2015
Minimum (1929-2014)
2015 record includes
provisional data
Jan
Feb Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Order of Approval, Section 8:
Drought Criteria Not Met in 2015
Criteria for Declaring a
Drought
a)
April-July flow volume
in the Similkameen River
is less than 1 million ac-ft
b) i) April-July net inflow to
Okanagan Lake is less
than 195,000 ac-ft
Forecasted Early April Drought
Forecasted Early May Criterion
Actual Value
Met?
1.039 million ac-ft
0.831 million ac-ft
0.820 million ac-ft
No
Yes
Yes
396,000 ac-ft
316,200 ac-ft
199,100 ac-ft
No
No
No
ii) June or July maximum
>1,122.6 ft by mid-April
level of Okanagan Lake is
1,123.3 ft
less than 1,122.6 feet
1,123.3 ft
No
No
No
Significance
Required for
drought
declaration
One of these
two required
for drought
declaration
Drought Determinations by Entity
Date
Osoyoos Lake Board of Control Washington State British Columbia
April 14 Notifies Washington State that
drought conditions are not in
effect according to criteria
defined in the IJC Order
April 17
Expands limited
drought declaration
to include the
Okanogan Basin
July 10
July 28
Declares level 3
drought for the
Okanagan Basin
Notifies Washington State that IJC
approved a variance according to
Condition 10 of the Order that
allows Zosel Dam operation in
compliance with the droughtcondition rule curve for the
remainder of 2015
16
No Deviations
from the
Rule Curve
in 2015
Hydrologic Forecast for 2015-16
A strong El Niño is expected into spring 2016
It is on track to be ranked #3 since 1950,
after 1997 (#1) and 1987 (#2)
Most likely result:
1) PNW will be warmer
2) PNW precipitation may be normal, but likely
below normal east of Cascade Range
Initiatives in 2015
• In September, the IJC funded the Board’s IWI proposal
for an educational documentary
Purpose: engage residents of the watershed and show how
the system is managed to balance multiple needs
Lead agency is Washington State Dept. of Ecology
• Request for Osoyoos Lake photos for website!
(Details at http://ijc.org/en_/iolbc/Activities)
Questions?
Next speaker: John Arterburn
What follows are slides that will not be used
during the presentation, unless necessary.
Snow Pillows
1. Blackwall Peak
2. Brenda Mines
3. Mission Creek
2
1
3
1. Blackwall Peak Snow Pillow (Similkameen R. basin)
Average
2014/15
2. Brenda Mines Snow Pillow (Okanagan R. basin)
2014/15
3. Mission Creek Snow Pillow (Okanagan R. basin)
Average
2014/15