The Koksilah watershed will be the focus of an information session Sunday.
Members of the Cowichan Watershed Board will be on site discussing the current state of the area and what can be done to maintain and enhance the watershed for a variety of purposes.
Roger Hunter is a board member with the Cowichan Station Area Association and he said these riparian (shoreline) areas are crucial to the watershed.
“It’s like a filter, so you get less sediment in your water if you’ve got a healthy riparian area,” said Hunter. “It also prevents erosion because the roots keep the soil from eroding into the water. It provides a place to live and food for fish and for animals.”
Water conservation is a major issue for the Koksilah watershed and Hunter said farmers use the river for irrigation and everything is connected and if you use too much water, you may be infringing on your neighbours’ water supply.
“There’s a lot of water drawn there for irrigation, the new provincial legislation (the Water Sustainability Act) recognizes that the well water is connected to the surface water,” said Hunter. “There’s a linkage between the streams and the groundwater. If you overuse water in your well, it’s connected through the river and you’re pumping out of the river too.”
There will be a brief presentation to kick things off and that will be followed by an open house where people can view maps of the watershed, provide input and share stories.
The meeting goes at 2 pm Sunday at the Hub at Cowichan Station.
