The next phase of the development of major plans and strategies to deal with the increasingly troubled Koksilah watershed is ready to move forward, and funding is now being sought for the next step in the plan.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District’s board voted unanimously at its meeting on June 12 for staff to work with the Koksilah Water Sustainability Plan Process organization to submit an application to the province’s Investment Agriculture Foundation for funding for phase two of the water-storage feasibility assessment in the watershed.
During the severe drought that struck the region last summer, the province temporarily restricted water use for industry and forage crops in the Koksilah River watershed in an effort to protect fish populations.
The Koksilah River has seen persistent low stream flows in recent years that are threatening the survival of steelhead trout populations, and the order from the province impacted more than 100 surface and groundwater licence holders in the watershed who had to stop using water for forage crops.
Due to the ongoing water issues, Cowichan Tribes and the province signed B.C.’s first water sustainability plan for the watershed last year, which is intended to find solutions to the problems.
Natasha Overduin, joint executive director of the Koksilah Watershed Planning Process, told the CVRD in a letter that the scope of the Koksilah water plan includes making recommendations on measures related to water storage, how water rights are managed, as well as adaptions in land-use practices in regards to agriculture, forestry, and regional development, to achieve long-term sustainability in the Koksilah watershed.
She said the planning process is now well underway and over the past year, community advisory tables were struck and convened to provide input and advice to decision-makers on the issue.
Overduin said the process is now moving to technical assessments.
“One key question requiring further information is how water-storage infrastructure can help to address water demand and increasing climate vulnerabilities,” she said.
“Water storage is considered a critical part of the solution for Koksilah water security, especially in the medium-term. During the water-sustainability plan scoping phase in 2021, a Phase 1 water storage assessment identified approximately a dozen possibilities that could be considered in the Koksilah watershed.”
Overduin said those ranged from on-site options, such as dug-outs and tanks, to community-scale options, like artificial aquifer storage, creation of dams at existing lakes or excavation pits, use of natural features, and green infrastructure.
She said the Phase 2 Koksilah storage feasibility assessment is now needed to inform planning decisions and guide next steps about which storage options to use.
Overduin said the province recently announced an additional $80 million is being committed to support investments in agricultural water infrastructure through the Investment Agriculture Foundation, and that the program is intended to fund assessment, planning, and/or implementation of water infrastructure in watersheds where the agricultural sector is a primary water user.
She said the Ministry of Agriculture and Food recently made the CVRD aware of the opportunity for local governments to access this funding opportunity, and if the application for the as yet unspecified amount is successful, the funding would assist in conducting Phase 2 of the water-storage feasibility assessment.
“It is important to note that there is a fund-matching requirement for the IAF grant,” Overduin said.
