The long, dry spell that the Cowichan area has been experiencing so far this June has seen a continuous drop in water levels in Cowichan Lake.
Brian Houle, environment manager at the Crofton mill which owns and operates the weir at Lake Cowichan, said water levels in the lake have been dropping steadily since May 27, when it was 73 per cent full.
He said that, as of June 17, water levels have dropped to 65 per cent full, which is a decrease of 0.38 centimetres a day over the previous three weeks.
“As the benefit of melting snow [from the surrounding mountains] concludes for 2025, the drop in the lake level will increase to one centimetre each day,” Houle said.
“I will be having professional projections developed now given that the snow pack is fully melted, or soon to be fully melted, and 2025 is expected to be very challenging.”
Houle said the weather forecast still shows the possibility of rain for the Lake Cowichan area, but it’s not likely to be a substantial amount of precipitation that will make a significant difference in the water levels in the lake.
“We’re keeping fingers crossed that we get some rainfall in the region because every millimetre helps,” he said.
The severe drought that struck the region in the summer of 2023 lowered water levels in Cowichan Lake and the Cowichan River dramatically, and resulted in the deaths of approximately 84,000 fish in the river.
Catalyst had to use 20 pumps for more than a month in September and October of that year to pump water over the weir to sustain water levels in the river.
Maintenance of water levels in the lake and river were deemed a success during the 2024 dry season, with no evident fish kills in the Cowichan River and no need for pumps in the fall.
