It was great to see funds earmarked in the provincial budget for the replacement of the Cowichan Lake weir.
This project has been many years in the works already, and when the final design was released in 2021 officials said construction could start in 2024, but things seemed to stall.
This new infusion of $14 million will hopefully go a long way to getting the project underway. The federal government has already committed $24 million and $14 million was the outstanding balance.
The weir is much-needed in these times of climate change. Droughts have become the norm in the summer, with months of no measurable rain stretching well into fall.
The weir allows Cowichan Lake to act as a reservoir, holding water through those dire dry spells, so it can be fed into the Cowichan River to keep the vital waterway from running dry. The river is of utmost importance, acting as habitat for fish and other wildlife, providing drinking water for people, water for industry and recreation, along with its cultural and historical significance.
The lake performs similar functions. Logging over the years, along with climate change, has drastically changed the amount of snow pack and how long it is storing the moisture in the watershed. Lake levels have gotten so low in recent years officials have warned boaters and swimmers about long-submerged obstacles becoming a danger.
Storing more water in Cowichan Lake won’t solve all our water woes. The Koksilah and Chemainus rivers, along with smaller watercourses are feeling the strain, and exactly how much water is available in underground reservoirs is unknown.
A fraction of the normal amount of precipitation has fallen to date this winter, and there’s concern over what that’s going to mean as the year goes on. There’s still plenty of time for spring rains, but so far it’s been unusually dry.
Prioritizing water use over the summer months will be important. We won’t be saying goodbye to water restrictions ever. We still tend to take water largely for granted. But that’s an attitude we can no longer afford.
Having a larger storage tank (Cowichan Lake) is a necessary step towards planning for our collective future.
– Cowichan Valley Citizen