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You are here: Home / Water Flows Target

Water Flows Target

Cowichan community member Tim Kulchyski inspects dry Cowichan Riverbed.
Cowichan community member Tim Kulchyski inspects dry Cowichan Riverbed. By P Jefferson

 

We want seasonal flows throughout the Cowichan-Koksilah watershed to support the needs of communities and aquatic ecosystems. 

 

Indicators

Water reserves in Cowichan Lake are managed such that the rate of flow into the Cowichan River meets the soft targets established in the Cowichan Water Use Plan (2018), delivering, at minimum, the following flow regime:

  • March & April: 25 cubic meters/second
  • May 1 - June 15: 15 cubic meters/second
  • June 15 - arrival of fall rain: 7 cubic meters/second

The Koksilah watershed is managed so as to deliver rates of flow defined as required Environmental flows (E-flows) as per Water Sustainability Planning process currently underway.

[updated 2023]

Rationale

Adequate spring, summer and fall flows in the Cowichan River are essential to ensure a healthy ecosystem and healthy communities in the Cowichan Valley.  However, natural water flows, once balanced by our climate, forests, and wetlands, have changed dramatically in 100 years.  A reduced snowpack and less rainfall during the summer in recent years means that a new water strategy is required through increased lake water storage.  According to recent climate studies by University of Victoria, average summer inflows at Cowichan Lake have declined by 35 per cent between 1955 and 2008 – and this trend is continuing and accelerating.

Healthy flows benefit human communities providing jobs, through industries such as the Crofton mill; locally-grown food; an efficient way to dilute sewage effluent; and recreation and tourism activities, including swimming, kayaking and tubing.  In addition, the river must maintain certain minimal levels of flow at various times of year for salmon and the aquatic ecosystem they depend on to thrive. A complex schedule of flows is needed by various fish species throughout the life cycle from egg to returning spawner.

_________

[Last updated 2018.  See Weir Ready and Koksilah Project pages for Water Flows updates ] 

Progress 

To revisit earlier findings, in 2016 the Fish and Flows Working Group convened an expert panel to consider optimal flow rates for fish health.  This panel included representatives from Cowichan Tribes, federal and provincial governments, the BC Conservation Foundation and recreational fisheries.  The year-long process, coordinated by biologist Cheri Ayers, set up a target flow model for the Cowichan River, referring to ideal conditions for salmon at all life stages, as well as indicating minimum flows, below which salmon health can be harmed. This foundational work supported the next step -  a multi-stakeholder water use planning process for the Cowichan River, directed at developing a strategy to ensure sustainable spring and summer flows for future generations. This process was led by a steering committee with representation from CVRD, Catalyst, Cowichan Tribes and the CWB, and completed in the spring of 2018 with a consensus recommendation of increasing storage in Cowichan Lake by 70 centimeters in a two phased approach in order to address the concerns of all stakeholders. The CWB is now working with partners towards implementation of the recommendations of the Cowichan Water Use Plan

 

In the Koksilah watershed, which joins the Cowichan watershed at the estuary, the CWB has also successfully engaged the province in monitoring extreme low summer flows to protect critical environmental flows.  The CWB is facilitating efforts to support Koksilah watershed water users, particularly large farms, to continue to be profitable with more scarce water resources, including looking for incentives for investing in more efficient watering systems and/or increased water storage.

 

Monitoring

River flows and lake levels in the Cowichan are closely monitored by a variety of partners. Catalyst Paper, who holds the water storage license associated with the weir, monitors lake levels, with the Water Survey of Canada operating two   gauging stations on the river.  There are also similar gauging stations on two of the major Cowichan Lake tributaries, Cottonwood creek and Shaw creek. During the spring, summer and fall months the information from these monitoring stations is presented and discussed weekly on a conference call hosted by Catalyst and attended by representatives from all levels of government,  Cowichan Tribes, the CWB and stewardship organizations. Recommendations for flow adjustments generated from these conversations are forwarded to the water comptroller.  In recent years however, there have been no “good solutions” to summer and fall flow concerns as there is simply not enough water.

 

Increased monitoring efforts in the Koksilah River are also providing data to inform the tough water management decisions required to balance environmental needs with those of water users.

 

Next Steps

  • Facilitate process to identify conservation water license holder and support the application process
  • Help secure funding  for weir replacement feasibility and design studies
  • Funding and construction of new Cowichan Lake weir as per Water Use Plan recommendations
  • Resolution of outstanding stakeholder concerns to allow for utilization of full storage capacity
  • Continue partnering with FLNRO on a flow monitoring regime and response for Koksilah River

Related Documents

Posted on October 22, 2024

Speaker Series slidedeck - Ken Ashley, October 2024

October 2024 Speaker Night:  Cowichan CSI: Crisis Scene Investigation! Dr. Ken Ashley Reflects on the 2023 Cowichan River Fish Kill, and Where We Go from Here. Presentation Slidedeck: Cowichan CSI-Ken Ashley slidedeck – Oct 21 2024 v 5 final Presentation recording:  coming soon About the Event:  In July 2023, a local family swimming in the Cowichan River…

Posted on April 2, 2024

[The Discourse] Cowichan weir funding announcement celebrates collaboration and partnership

‘Working together, we can adapt to these changes and ensure a more positive future for our river, our salmon, our people and future generations,’ said Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels. By Jacqueline Ronson ● Cowichan Valley ● March 28, 2024 Cowichan water advocates and elected officials gathered at Saywell Park in Lake Cowichan on March…

Posted on March 22, 2024

[BC Media Release] Province supports new weir to keep Cowichan River flowing

For Immediate Release March 22, 2024 Office of the Premier Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship LAKE COWICHAN — B.C. is taking an important step forward in drought preparedness by supporting a new Cowichan Lake weir, ensuring the Cowichan River continues to flow and provide a safe and reliable water supply for people, businesses,…

Posted on February 23, 2024

News Release: Cowichan Weir replacement project receives $14 million from Province of BC

News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 24, 2024 Cowichan Weir replacement project receives $14 million from Province of BC DUNCAN, BC – The Cowichan Tribes First Nation, Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) and the Cowichan Watershed Board welcome the announcement of $14 million in funding from the Province of British Columbia for the Cowichan Lake…

Posted on August 7, 2022

Developing a Water Use Plan for the Cowichan Watershed

The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), Cowichan Tribes, the Cowichan Watershed Board, and Catalyst Paper have partnered together to initiate a community planning process that will explore future water use needs alongside a range of different potential water supply and storage options. The goal is to seek agreement on a long-term solution to better ensure water…

Posted on August 3, 2022

Video: Why Fish Need Water

Cowichan Watershed Board’s Tim Kulchyski and Tom Rutherford answer common questions about the why, when, where and how much fish need water in the Cowichan/Koksilah watershed. 

Posted on April 15, 2022

Twinned Watershed Project: Executive Summary – Koksilah River Environmental Flow Assessment

Water holds a prominent place in culture, science, policy, community values and recreational pursuits. Yet, it remains undervalued in comparison to the role that it plays in society and in the cycle of life in the Cowichan Valley, British Columbia. To explore the importance of water in the Xwulqw’selu Sto’lo (Koksilah River), an Environmental Flow…

Posted on April 5, 2022

Twinned Watershed Project: FULL REPORT - Xwulqw'selu/Koksilah River Environmental Flow Assessment

Over the past number of years water has been elevated to the centre of planning, resource management, and policy discussions. First Nations often refer to water as the life–giving force, as sacred, and as essential for all life. Similarly, western science has described water as the ‘master variable’ in both the distribution and abundance of…

Relevant Resources

Weir Ready! (RE information about the Cowichan Lake weir replacement initiative)

Cowichan Water Use Plan 2018

Lake-Cowichan-Review-with-CWB-Sept-24-2018

CWBLicensingProcess2019FLNRODavidRobinson2019-05

20190729-CWB-Koksilah Drought Update_FLNRO

CLRSS_KenTraynor photos of lake level measurements

Cowichan Lake Pumping Weekly Report 1 - Sep1-7

Cowichan Lake Pumping Weekly Report 2 - Sep8-13

Cowichan Lake Pumping Weekly Report 3 - Sep14-20

Lake-Cowichan-Review-with-CWB-Sept-24-2018

Cowichan-Chinook-and-water-Apr2015-Luedke

Agriculture_Water_Demand_Model-Cowichan_Report_Agriculture_Canada-Jun2013

AreaAgriculturePlan-for-CowichanWatershedBoard-03June2010

111102_CowichanValleyWatershedBoardGWStudyUpdate

CowichanWatershedBoard-RuleCurve-20110407a

Motivators-for-CowichanWaterSupplyImprovement-JCW-27-01-12

CowichanWatershedBoard-TargetSetting-07Apr2011

CowichanWatershedBoard-RuleCurve-20110407a

Presentation-CowichanLake-WaterManagement-CraigSutherland-Results-July2010

Flows-for-Fish-SDM-Report-Update-13Sep2017

CWB-Flows-Update-31.07.17_0

InflowsIntoCowichanLake-May2010

LowerCowichan-KoksilahRiverIntegratedFloodManagementPlan-FinalReport-Sept2009

CowichanBasinWaterManagementPlan-March2007

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Speaker Series audience - B Hetschko

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Weir Project Website

screenshot cowichanlakeweir.ca

Click to visit the weir project website.

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CoChairs Daniels and Segall

Click image for Board Meeting Packages. Photo of CWB Co-Chairs, Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels, CVRD Chair Kate Segall (Cowichan Tribes photo)

Why Fish Need Water

Why Fish Need Trees

Why Fish Need People

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