In response to Klaus Kuhn’s article on Oct. 22, well said Klaus.
The responsibility is federal and provincial to manage these issues, but it is also encumbant upon Catalyst in the terms of their water licence to cover any expenses of ensuring a seven cms flow at the lake into the river. The flow into the river has rarely kept up to the requirements of the water licence, yet no one seems to have the mojo to enforce the contractual terms with Catalyst.
The CVRD approach to put the burden onto local taxpayers is enabling Catalyst to avoid accountability for their contractual obligations. Also the main beneficiaries of improvements to the weir and rule curve are downstream in North Cowichan and the City of Duncan, yet the burden of land use loss is being dumped onto the lakeshore property owners without due consultation with those most impacted.
Bottom line is the CVRD is determined to get what they want and are saying “screw you” if you get in their way. The use of the AAP to ram initiatives like these through the back door is undemocratic, outside of their scope of authority, and tramples on the rights of the lakeshore property owners. Add to this that Catalyst is also applying right now to pump down the lake by up to 23 inches each year, under the guise of a temporary water use under section 8 of the Water Act, with no consideration of the impact to lakeshore properties.
Between the AAPs by the CVRD and Catalyst’s section 8 application, and both organizations essentially running the Cowichan Watershed Board, you get a very clear picture of collaboration to screw the local taxpayers and lakeshore property owners.
Michael Dix
Victoria