The water level in Francois Lake, British Columbia has dropped to a critical level due to a level three drought.

The WaterBridge Group, a privately owned ship building and ferry operator in British Columbia, measures water levels for ferry safety on the lake.

On Nov. 29, they recorded the water level at 1.69 metres, which is lower than the estimated 1.75 metres recorded on Oct. 26, even-though, it was just 1.8 metres on Oct. 5.

This represents a drop of 0.006 metres within a month.

Mark Neave, the general manager of the WaterBridge Group, said that the water level is currently very low, and the last time such an occurrence happened was in 2001.

During that time, the water level was measured at 1.65 meters on March 11.

Southsiders, who reside in the area, are affected by the low water level as they rely on the lake for daily water use, although it does not significantly affect the ferry.

They use water lines that dip into the lake and pump water. If the water lines freeze during winter, due to the low water level, it will significantly impact their daily water use.

To avoid frosting and freezing of the water lines, Neave suggests that Southsiders should ensure that their water lines have enough depth and check them regularly. He also advises them to dig the ice with shovels and a rake.

According to Neave, WaterBridge is responsible for a couple of water lines for the ferry service which they protect by placing hay on top to prevent frosting.

However, Neave does not encourage this practice for others as he fears some environmental person might say it is not allowed to put hay there.

Currently, Neave and his team placed rocks on their water lines to prevent it from tearing and breaking apart when the lake freezes.

Neave also expressed concern that British Columbia鈥檚 drought and lack of snowfall might not result in enough snowpack, leading to even lower water levels next year.