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Water conservation and initiatives to maximize efficiency of water supplies are strongly supported by the Ministry of Environment, particularly actions that will improve stream flow-related rearing conditions for trout and salmon. The Crofton Lake reservoir was recently replaced with a new water supply, making significant storage potentially available to augment flows for fish in Richards Creek.
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Author: Craig, J.D.C ; BC Conservation Foundation
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Date Published: Apr 2009
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Report ID: 23735
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Audience: Government and Public
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On east coast Vancouver Island, Richards Creek the largest tributary to Somenos Lake (lower Cowichan River, in Duncan), flows from Crofton Lake reservoir, previously District of North Cowichan (DNC) water supply for the town of Crofton. Original dam design in 1956 only accounted for a nominal release to Richards Creek, which up until 2008 suffered from extremely low summer flows.
MoEs delivery partner BC Conservation Foundation delivered this HCTF project assisting with the final consultation and logistical planning and supporting June 2008 dam infrastructure modifications (primary objective) in partnership with DNC, Cowichan Tribes and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). As a result, approximately 2/3 of Crofton Lake storage was made available to annually augment low summer flows in Richards Creek. The remaining third of the reservoirs storage will be kept as back-up water supply.
This project was generated in part by ECVI Water Storage Feasibility work (HCTF project 1-430) undertaken by BCCF in Nanaimo. BCCFs Living Rivers Georgia Basin/Vancouver Island program is focused on Water for Fish projects and water management planning initiatives in the region. On Crofton Lake/Richards Creek, BCCF worked with DNC and DFO to identify potential habitat benefits from increasing storage releases to Richards Creek. With project implementation, habitat quantity and quality in 1.4 km of anadromous stream length in upper Richards Creek improved significantly (i.e. 765m2 of new rearing habitat) as did 3 km of resident cutthroat-bearing habitat above the anadromous barrier. Conditions for fish in lower Richards Creek, with lower gradient and some channelization, also improved based on water quality monitoring in 2008 and 2009.
Stakeholder consultation during spring 2008 included subcontracting a local consultant familiar with the Duncan area agricultural community to contact each landowner on Richards Creek, explain the project and secure support.
Project benefits are significant and will re-occur annually with storage releases each summer. DNC hold the existing license, own most of the land around Crofton Lake and are responsible for annual maintenance of the dam and infrastructure as a condition of licenses.
This project was co-funded by Living Rivers-Georgia Basin/Vancouver Island (2006-11), a program of the BC Living Rivers Trust Fund.
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Report Type
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Fish and Aquatic Habitat Information |
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Subject
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Fish Species - Cutthroat Trout (General) - Oncorhynchus clarki |
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Fish Species - Salmon (General) - Oncorhynchus spp. |
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Region - Vancouver Island |
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Fish and Fish Habitat - Restoration |
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Watershed Groups - 920 - Vancouver Island (East) Rivers |
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