Plans to control the amount of flooding along the Chemainus River in North Cowichan are underway with six bendway weirs.
According to North Cowichan mayor Rob Douglas, the province plans to install the weirs in partnership with the Halat First Nation to stabilize the river’s bank and help control erosion.
“Completing the six bendway weirs will stabilize the right bank of the Chemainus River directly downstream of the highway bridges,” he says in a social media post. “Bendway weirs are submerged rock structures that intercept high-velocity flow and dissipate the energy that causes erosion.”
Douglas says the work is part of restoration efforts to restore watercourses affected by the atmospheric river event in Nov. 2021.
“This work is along the riverbank within the Russell Farm property and is being done with their support,” he says.
He adds while crews work, residents are asked not to swim near the site, respect all signage, and obey traffic controls on Chemainus Road.
Work is expected to start mid-September, and residents can expect crews to be working in the area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week and some work on the weekends.
