Water, water everywhere, but nary a drop is saved!
The rule curve is broken; every spring the rule curve says “The Lake is full, quick dump the excess... the summer rains are coming!” Every summer Mother Nature says “Ha, Ha fooled you, you silly people!”. Then every summer the CVRD plays the shame game, how dare you wash your car, water your lawn or let the grandkids play on a slip and slide. That precious resource has more noble roles to play! It must dilute Duncan’s defecation, it must provide potable water to Crofton residents, and let’s not forget it just has to keep the Crofton Mill running! (At least until the owners shut it down for being unprofitable).
Your unvarnished push to become King of the Lake is pitifully short sighted. The provincially imposed rule curve will still be the overarching authority. To project your plan to its logical end, the newly established bureaucracy, “CVRD Cowichan Lake Operating Authority” will finally have their hand on the button for the weir. Sadly you will have to follow the rule curve, just like the operator at the Crofton mill does now. I wonder how that poor sod feels when returning home after work?
However I do want to congratulate the CVRD on two outstanding items! Firstly, kudos to your PR department (I call them the Rah, Rah team); six months ago, PlaceSpeak was unheard of, now it has become your preferred point of contact for the computer literate masses.
Secondly, your statisticians are out of this world. Six hundred twelve folks respond to your highly touted survey, 600 by direct personal telephone conversation, 12 by computer. Please promise to have a few of those town hall meetings. I’ll wager that more than 12 of the 600 feel the best use for a size 12 cork boot is for booting a computer.
I do thank you for this opportunity to jump up on my soapbox, true democracy occurs when true debate takes place.
Mike Bishop
Lake Cowichan