B.C.'s Cowichan River in danger of drying up

The bone-dry Cowichan River is putting salmon runs in jeopardy. 
(Associated Press/Canadian Press/Hobbit Hill Films)

B.C.'s Cowichan River in danger of drying up

Record-breaking drought threatens salmon runs

The Canadian Press

Oct 7, 2012

The Cowichan River could run bone dry before the end of the month if rain doesn't start falling by the bucketful, raising concerns for environmentalists, municipal officials and representatives of the nearby paper mill.

The record-breaking drought could drastically impede spawning salmon runs, put the local pulp mill's operations in jeopardy and even affect the village of Crofton's water supply, says a local sport fisherman and longtime champion of the Cowichan river ecosystem on Vancouver Island.

How the situation got to this point appears to be a combination of unusually dry weather and a water management system that has stakeholders on all sides pointing fingers.

"It is truly sad that it takes a disaster to get people moving, [and] this is a disaster waiting to happen," said Paul Rickard, an avid sport fisherman and longtime champion of Cowichan River ecosystems.

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