After the discovery of a large number of dead juvenile salmon this week, Cowichan Tribes says the provincial government needs to step up and provide the funding for a higher weir at Cowichan Lake.
Chief Lydia Hwitsum says, “support is urgently needed from the Province of BC to match federal dollars,” as the environmental, social, and cultural significance of the Cowichan River is too important to continue delaying the project.
Cowichan Tribes says the need to replace the weir at Lake Cowichan “has never been more evident,” and the loss of juvenile fry in the Horseshoe Bend area of Cowichan River reinforces concerns that have been expressed for more than a decade.
Chief Hwitsum sent a letter on June 9, 2023, to Minister of Forests, Bruce Ralston, and Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, Nathan Cullen, warning extremely low levels in the Cowichan River are “jeopardizing the survival of wild salmon fry,” and calling on the province to come to the table to support a new, higher Cowichan weir.
According to Cowichan Tribes, lower river flows and higher water temperatures increase the stress on fish, making it more difficult for them to withstand other pressures.
Cowichan Tribes says it’s working with Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Cowichan Watershed Board, Catalyst Crofton, and others on environmental testing and data collection to determine the factors that contributed to the death of the fish.
