Catalyst Paper, the operator of the Cowichan Weir, is going to lower the boat lock gates by the end of today, with water storage practices set to begin by the end of the month.
After two days, the Crofton mill can begin controlling river flow down to 25 cubic metres per second with maximum daily reductions of three cubic metres.
The lake is less than full capacity and the snowpack is a little higher than last year, which is great news when you consider where we were in late-January.
Environment Canada Meteorologist Armel Castellan says the snowpack was half of last year’s level.
The 2019 snowpack levels were half of what is deemed normal combined with nearly no precipitation between January and September produced the worst drought the Cowichan Valley has ever seen.
Manager of Environment with Catalyst Paper Brian Houle says the lake level is what it was on February 20th of last year and is in a better position than it was last year.
