Skip to content

VIDEO:Watershed talks now moving towards ‘trickier pieces’

Changes in the Lake Cowichan weir is a long way off, but talks are moving in that direction
9114534_web1_171027-CCI-watershed-talks-reopen_2
With various officials on site, the public is able to ask questions before the meeting. (Lexi Bainas/Gazette)

The Cowichan watershed. Water management. The Lake Cowichan weir.

Mention one and the other two are never far away.

Whirl subjects like drought and climate change into the mix and you can get a crowd talking.

That’s what happened Monday night, Oct. 23 at the Youbou Community Hall as the Cowichan Valley Regional District, Cowichan Tribes, Cowichan Watershed Board, and Catalyst joined the overall community in taking the first steps towards sustainable water resources for the Valley.

It’s been a long, long haul to even get this far.

Since 1991 there have been 20 studies about water planning for the Cowichan River, according to a poster placed on the wall before the session.

Part of the problem, according to information brought forward during a presentation, is there is a feeling among some residents that there is no real problem.

“We live in a rainforest. We have plenty of water. Why are there water issues?” asked one slide in a presentation on rainfall.

Next, there is significant variation in annual rainfall in the Valley.

The western part of the watershed gets 2,500 mm of rainfall per year, Lake Cowichan receives 2,050 mm and Duncan only gets 1,150 mm of rain, the data said.

CVRD CAO Brian Carruthers said he thought one of the reasons that higher levels of government were interested in funding research into the situation is “it’s a unique project.”

Kate Miller said there’s been “a phenomenal amount” of work done to date on the watershed concerns but now “we’re ready to move on to some of the trickier pieces”.

Establishment of the Cowichan Watershed Board is in itself a significant achievement, but now it’s time to address difficult subjects like the possible effects of climate change, she said.

Carruthers added that the four steps in getting to the future involve identifying the need, engineering solutions, then applying for a water licence, and finally implementing the changes everyone has decided on.

“This is not about who will raise the weir or who will take out the water licence,” he said of the Oct. 23 meeting. “That’s way down the road.”

9114534_web1_171027-CCI-watershed-talks-reopen_3
Larry George of Cowichan Tribes opens the session, urging everyone to spread the word about the importance of safeguarding the great resource of the Cowichan River. (Lexi Bainas/Gazette)
9114534_web1_171027-CCI-watershed-talks-reopen_4
CVRD CAO Brian Carruthers talks about working towards a solution in a systematic way. (Lexi Bainas/Gazette)
9114534_web1_171027-CCI-watershed-talks-reopen_5
Michael Harstone of Compass Resource Management introduces his team and other agency and government representatives who have attended the meeting. (Lexi Bainas/Gazette)
9114534_web1_171027-CCI-watershed-talks-reopen_7
Kate Miller talks about climate change and its possible effects on the watershed. (Lexi Bainas/Gazette)
9114534_web1_171027-CCI-watershed-talks-reopen_8
This chart shows the operations of the Lake Cowichan weir. (Lexi Bainas/Gazette)