Dry Creek at Harrison Island

Marilyne Tovar wrote:

I wonder if it is unusual for the creeks to be dry at the end of winter, almost spring. It has been a cold and dry winter here, instead of a blustery wet one; this could explain why the creek is dry; I am not sure if this is part of year to year variability or is unusual.

Tom Okey wrote:

On average, Haida Gwaii gets 1578 mm of rain per year, and most of that rain comes between October and February [see link at climate-data.org]. Unfortunately, precipitation data has not been recorded by the Masset weather instruments this winter (2018-2019) [see these ECCC Data], preventing a comparison to the normal precipitation that Haida Gwaii receives.

Precipitation and River Flow are expected to change in coastal British Columbia during the coming decades with precipitation generally increasing and river flow both increasing and decreasing (See info from the BC Ministry of Environment), and see the Canadian Atlas of Climate Change trends and projections for nearby Masset showing gradual increases, but specific micro-climates may respond uniquely, especially along coasts.

Harrison Island on Haida Gwaii appears to be a small island, on the order of 1 km^2, and the dry stream bed pictured may also relate to the small size of the stream's watershed, though the stream may normally flow more during winter. It would be valuable to ask local people living in Juskatla if this is unusual for this island or not.

Some creeks and rivers on Vancouver Island were observed to be running unusually low or dry, and these are described in the linked observations and articles.

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