What's with the water levels on Cowichan Lake?

TenMile

TenMile

Well-Known Member
Hey all,

Anyone know the skinny on why the lake levels at Cowichan have fluxuated so much in the past 6 months?

At the end of the summer season, the Lake was as low as I've seen it in the past 20 years. So low, that the anchor system for our dock placed 40 years ago was right at the end of it's tether (this has never happened).

Then October came and it rained (and rained and rained) until November.... and then the rain turned into a waterfall. The lake level came up so fast that within a month our entire beach area was covered. Water level probably rose about 6 feet.

Over the XMas holidays we went to check on the cabin, and the water level was back down close to summer levels again.

And now it's rising once again (quickly).

Anyone have any ideas why it's whipsawing so much this year? Did someone pull the plug by accident? Seems like the rains were constant between Oct to Jan. Can't seem to find anything that documents why such a dramatic change. You can see from Oct 1 to Nov 15 water rose about 2m and then falls until Jan. Seems like this year the change has been more rapid and pronounced than normal. Anyone know why?

Lake level graph: https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report...x=&y1Min=&max1=1&min1=1&prm2=-1&y2Max=&y2Min=
 
Does anyone know if they have actually started using the pumps? Sounds like they had them all ready but didnt need to turn them on. Might explain why the water levels have been going up and down so rapidly.
 
TenMile said:
Does anyone know if they have actually started using the pumps? Sounds like they had them all ready but didnt need to turn them on. Might explain why the water levels have been going up and down so rapidly.
Click to expand...
Maybe pm fshnfnatic.1278 or billygoat812.9770 and/or phone Catalyst Paper and ask to speak with the weir operator for Gary Ridley or CVRD’s board chair Jon Lefebure...
 
Similar to Sproat Lake for us, it was actually relatively dry and cold through December and early January with little inflow into the lake (compared to average) and levels dropping overall in lake level. In the last couple weeks With the warmer temps and back to rain, it's rising quickly as the inflow is so massive from rain and melt off.
 
This^^^ Ten Mile.We had a solid month of below 0 temps with any precipitation falling as snow till about 10 days or so ago.The level dropped to near summer levels in that time and then when temps rose and rain fell it literally blew out in 2 days.Through the winter and spring months the weir is left wide open and that would probably explain the extreame
level fluctuations this time of year.
 
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