Water restrictions lifted on Sunshine Coast as disastrous drought sidestepped

A view of Gibsons Landing from the top of Soames Hill, a short but steep hike on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, is seen near the town of Grantham's Landing, B.C., on May 23, 2016. A state of local emergency in response to drought along British Columbia's Sunshine Coast has been lifted as the regional district says water flows were high enough in a key water source.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lauren Krugel

For the first time since last May, the Sunshine Coast Regional District has lifted water conservation regulations affecting a large part of its area north of Vancouver.

A statement from the regional district says, effective immediately, Stage 1 water conservation regulations have been removed in the Chapman water system.

In October, the regional district said the reservoir - which serves about 90 per cent of residents in the area - was at risk of “imminent exhaustion” as southern B.C. recorded an unseasonably dry summer and warm fall.

A local state of emergency was declared, operations at the local pool and ice rink were affected and certain types of businesses were closed by the regional district to ensure adequate levels of drinking water.

The statement says there was uncertainty about fall and winter water supplies because of the extended summer drought, followed by freezing temperatures that could have stopped rain from recharging Chapman Lake.

The district says staff will continue to monitor creek flows and snowpacks in the watershed, but flow data from the reservoir confirms all conservation regulations can be lifted.