It’s too early to determine what action may be needed later this year to support water flows in the Cowichan River.
In a report to the Cowichan Watershed Board, Brian Houle, Environmental Manager at Domtar’s Crofton Pulp Mill, says the level of Cowichan Lake is currently at 73 per cent.
The amount of water released into the Cowichan River is stable at the target of seven cubic metres per second, while the flow of water into the lake is also seven CMS
Houle says the surrounding mountains still have snowpack, but most of the snow has melted.
He says the once the snowpack is gone, they will have a clearer picture of how the summer will go.
Houle says if the lake were at one-hundred per cent, there would 97 days of seven CMS flow into the river. At this time, the level of the lake indicates there will be 73 days of water flowing at that rate over the Cowichan Lake Weir.
He says the mostly dry weather is expected to continue until September.
