Drought problems in the Cowichan Valley

Water levels in Cowichan Lake and the Cowichan River are at record lows. What does this mean for our summer?

Yes, Winter Drought is a Thing

Water levels are low in the Cowichan River this spring. Snowmelt may help, but will it be enough? This past week, officials notified Cowichan Valley residents that water levels in the Cowichan River are lower than predicted, and are actually at the values we expect to see in August. The reason we usually get such…

Tips on the Writing Process

It’s been raining for days. The yard has become a marshland, with tufts of grass poking up from pools of standing water. The bedrock outcrop in our front yard has puddles in all its nooks and crannies. They must smell interesting, because the dogs have to investigate each and every one of them. The Cowichan…

Wishing for Snow

I’ve just returned from another soggy dog walk. My rain pants and jacket are dripping on the floor, and the baseball cap I wear to keep the rain off my glasses is sopping. Not to mention the dog who – despite shaking herself off regularly along our 45 minute route – is soaked to the…

Are we winning yet? An update on the Cowichan River

My last post outlined some of the water issues we’re having here in the Cowichan Valley. Coincident with the fall equinox, we were in for some wet, stormy weather – and there was a lot of hope that the rain would address some of our low river flow concerns. So what do the data tell…