[lm411]

More concerning than the level of the Columbia River is the lack of snowpack in the West Kootenays and most of BC.

The level of the Columbia River in Castlegar varies so much (due to the Hugh Keenleyside Dam and other upstream dams on the Kootenay and Columbia rivers) that it's not a very good indicator of drought.

A quick look shows that the Arrow Reservoir is at about 426.1m, which historically is not that bad. However, with the lack of snowpack, the absence of snowmelt runoff is going to be a big problem.