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Friday, August 9, 2013
Boosted water storage rules could save spawning salmon Cowichan River: Conservationists hoping to duck the effects of last year’s drought that killed fish Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
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Andrew Leong
Colourful spinnakers blanket the bay during another edition of the Cowichan Bay Sailing Association’s regatta on the long weekend. Maple Bay’s John Schnellback and crew, left, find themselves in close quarters on Interim during racing. See story on Page 14.
hat a difference three weeks makes. Twenty-two days of storing Cowichan River water — under new provincial rules demanded by many residents — at Cowichan Lake’s weir could save thousands of spawning salmon come fall, says Parker Jefferson of One Cowichan. “Under the new rules we’ve been allowed to keep all the water we have, up to the top of the weir, until July 31 instead of July 9 as was the case in the past. “We’ve been able to maintain the flow in the river at the minimum required rate, and keep as much water as possible behind the weir,” he said. Jefferson cheered the new rules that could provide water for salmon to swim upstream and spawn. Last fall’s drought killed about 1,000 salmon. Others were trapped and trucked upstream, sparking heated meetings with the province about new storage rules — outside mandatory water-release rule-curve volumes in Crofton pulp mill’s two river permits. “Last year at this time, we were being forced to dump water out of the lake to comply with the old operating rules,” says Jefferson. “This was done despite the objections of many of our community leaders, Cowichan Tribes and the Cowichan Watershed Board.” Not having to dump water this year, the lake level as of July 31 is about where it was last year despite no significant rain for more than a month, he explained. “Our current lake level is below the top of the weir and below the maximum levels allowed by the new operating rules,” he explains, “which means not only do we not have to release water we have stored, but we would be able to keep any water we should get if we do get a rare summer rain.” Rodger Hunter of the Cowichan Watershed Board estimates there’s about nine days of river flow stored above levels required by the old rules. “This volume will very likely be of tremendous benefit later in the summer as we are only now entering the traditional summer drought period, and not much rain is expected until September,” Jefferson said. But local conservationists are eying new river realities as climate change spells summer droughts and other effects.
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“It is clear increased summer storage in our lake is going to be key to preserving the health and viability of our watershed and our community.” Jefferson dismissed arguments by a group of residents protesting the storage boost. “They’re appealing the decision to store more water and that’s their legal right. “They say there’s no evidence we need to store more water. Their arguments are silly.” Those objectors were unavailable by deadline. Meanwhile, the next major test comes Sept.15 when the old and new storage rules curves meet. “That’ll mean we have to be at the lake level as in the old rule curve. “With not having to release any water stored, we could store more. “If it does rain, we could keep that water until Sept. 15. There’s no guarantee we won’t be in the same situation, but our odds are better,” Jefferson said. “Every drop is money in the bank. The new rules are working.”
Opponents file complaints with province Six lake Cowichan Lake-area landowners have filed Water Act appeals with B.C.’s environmental appeal board objecting to processes allowing new storage and release of Cowichan River water in the lake. Appeals must be filed with the EAB by Aug. 30. Michael Dix, E. Weir, Darcy Lubin, Catherine Willows Woodrow, Greg Whynacht, and Ian Poyntz have filed appeals so far. Their concerns include: water storage is encroachment on their property rights; storage causes nuisance factors preventing property enjoyment; water storage constitutes trespassing on their private property; storage could cause more erosion of their property and affect septic systems, and lakeshore ecosystems; denies them of full use of their property; a lack of historical storage-volume data used in allowing boosted storage; a lack of respect for lakeside property owners’ rights; and ignoring of a Dec. 6, 1955 letter from (former) B.C. Forest Products guaranteeing consultation, remedying and compensation for any negative impacts storing water has on the lake’s waterfront lands. — Peter W. Rusland
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