Environmental and Natural Resources

Cowichan River Watershed Stewardship

Probably the single-most important steelhead habitat enhancement on the river has been securing a fairly reliable summer rearing flow downstream of Cowichan Lake. This was achieved under auspices of the Cowichan-Koksilah Water Management Plan (Ministry of Environment 1986), and included a field assessment of available trout habitat over a range of flows in the upper Cowichan River (Wightman and Ptolemy 1989). Water stored on the lake behind the Norske Canada weir is presently released according to an operational "rule curve" established between the licencee (Norske's Crofton pulp mill) and provincial Water Management Branch