Lead author Kate Hale said her team analyzed mountain snow data and found snowpack water storage decreased more than 25% from 1950 to 2013.
Such a shift in snowmelt may pose challenges for residents as much of the infrastructure in these regions were designed to adapt to when water becomes available, Hale said.
Holly Chubb, a climate researcher at the University of British Columbia, agreed, saying a serious decline in the snowpack would cause “cascading issues” for energy security in B.C. “We may have to really adjust our usage, our consumption, and think about actually how we are utilizing hydro power in B.C.”
It could also disrupt wildlife, she added. For instance, she said early snowmelt could shift the volume and temperature of rivers, which could prevent fish from spawning and reduce the province’s salmon population.
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