Why was more not done sooner on weir?
Re: “Operations at Cowichan Lake weir begins for the year” (Cowichan Valley Citizen)
Dear Premier David Eby, CVRD directors, Crofton Mill environmental manager, and Cowichan Tribes Chief:
It’s certainly encouraging all government levels have finally committed taxpayer funds to building a new Cowichan Lake weir to save our heritage river and its vital habitat, from climate change’s terrible ravages.
But recent news begs for answers about our threatened river, and our planned higher storage-volume weir.
Given drought damage in recent years — forcing intrepid stakeholders to transport salmon upriver — why did local leaders not urge river-flow permit holders Crofton Mill to capture spring-water sources previously?
Instead of awaiting senior governmental funding, why did Cowichan’s leaders not start action to build our higher weir more than a decade ago after low flows and fish-habitat risks were scientifically known?
It’s comforting reading in the April 1, 2024 Citizen that Crofton Mill is now acting to capture spring rain, plus snow-pack run-off, to quench weir/river flows during annual droughts. That helps reduce pump use, and repetition of 2023’s catastrophic fish kill due to skimpy flow levels.
But why have CVRD directors not applied to our environment ministry to assume our river’s two flow-rate permits, thus gaining more public control of our Cowichan River?
Despite current action, we fear Mother Nature’s fall rains will again be needed to rescue our precious river — while our new weir’s completion arguably sits at least two worrisome years away.
Yours in river ecology,
Peter W. Rusland
North Cowichan