Koksilah Watershed Water Conservation Request
UncategorizedThe provincial government is asking all Koksilah watershed water users to reduce their water use by 30% until current drought conditions come to an end.
According to the province, The Koksilah River is currently experiencing severe low flows and forecasts indicate that water flows will drop to levels which will cause significant or irreversible harm to the aquatic ecosystem. Low flows in the river are resulting in the reduction of critically important stream habitat available to juvenile Steelhead and Coho. The reduction in insect prey, fragmented channel connectivity, and increased water temperatures make it likely that juvenile fish populations will be severely limited or eliminated from the lower reaches of the river.
Voluntary reductions are requested of both users of surface water in the Koksilah watershed as well as users of groundwater aquifers connected to streams in this watershed. For example, studies suggest that Aquifer 0200 in the Kelvin Creek area is an important source of water to Kelvin Creek and the Koksilah River – anyone with a well in this aquifer is included in these reductions.
Should voluntary reductions fail to improve conditions, the province may impose regulated restrictions on water users.