Where incoming precipitation goes
80% of incoming precipitation is lost to evapotranspirationThe combined processes of evaporation and transpiration from plants and evaporationThe process by which water changes from a liquid to atmospheric water vapour - an essential part of the water cycle. from lake surfaces.
Another 13% goes to surface flowsOpen channel flow, or the gravity-driven flow of water above the ground., and groundwaterWater existing below the ground surface in aquifers rechargeRefers to water entering a groundwaterWater existing below the ground surface in aquifers aquiferAn underground formation that stores groundwater through percolationVertical movement of water from the surface to the subsurface from the surface or through lateral movement from an adjacent upslope aquiferAn underground formation that stores groundwater is 7%.
ReservoirAn artificial lake used to store water capacity
There are 36 large storage reservoirsArtificial lakes used to store water in the basinLand area from which water drains towards a common point on the plateaus east and west of the main Okanagan valley.
Together, these reservoirsArtificial lakes used to store water can store 133,000 MLMegalitre. One ML = 1,000,000 litres, i.e. 1 dam3 of water, about 20% of the annual total volume of water that flows into the main valley lakes.
Creeks
Mission Creek is the largest creek in the Okanagan, producing 28% of the total flow in the basinLand area from which water drains towards a common point. Trout and Vernon Creeks are the second and third largest contributors, each producing about 7% of the total.
Imported Water
An average of 17,000 million litres is imported each year from adjacent watersheds, the largest volume from the Duteau Plateau in the North Okanagan that otherwise drains to the Shuswap BasinLand area from which water drains towards a common point.
Stream-flowThe flow of water in a river or stream channel
Stream-flowThe flow of water in a river or stream channel during the seven months of August to February accounts for only 14% of total basinLand area from which water drains towards a common point rechargeRefers to water entering a groundwaterWater existing below the ground surface in aquifers aquiferAn underground formation that stores groundwater through percolationVertical movement of water from the surface to the subsurface from the surface or through lateral movement from an adjacent upslope aquiferAn underground formation that stores groundwater, while the 5-month period March to July accounts for 86%. The August to February total stream-flowThe flow of water in a river or stream channel averages about 18,200 MLMegalitre. One ML = 1,000,000 litres, i.e. 1 dam3 per month, which is primarily contributed by groundwaterWater existing below the ground surface in aquifers.
Okanagan Water Cycle
Stream-flowThe flow of water in a river or stream channel Monitoring
Within the last decade, the network of stations that measure stream-flowThe flow of water in a river or stream channel and lake levels has been reduced to about half of historical levels, presenting a challenge for hydrologicAdjective of the noun hydrologyThe science dealing with the properties, distribution, and circulation of water modeling and water management activities.
EvaporationThe process by which water changes from a liquid to atmospheric water vapour - an essential part of the water cycle.
EvaporationThe process by which water changes from a liquid to atmospheric water vapour - an essential part of the water cycle. from Okanagan Lake and other main valley lakes is significant and has important consequences for dam operations and for improved modeling and forecasting of water supply in the basinLand area from which water drains towards a common point, but cannot be precisely estimated without proper measurements of lake evaporationThe process by which water changes from a liquid to atmospheric water vapour - an essential part of the water cycle..
Read More:
More Key Findings: