Sunshine Coast given provincial approval for new water-saving measure
Fears of another devastating drought have been looming over the Sunshine Coast as hot, dry weather impacts the province this spring.
It’s these fears that led Gibsons Mayor Silas White to write a letter to the province, requesting help getting a head start on mitigating drought effects.
On Friday, part of his request was approved. According to the B.C. Forests Ministry, a water licence has been approved for the Church Road Well.
The well was built near Gibsons last year to help support communities that rely on Chapman Lake for water. It will provide an additional three million litres of water per day to the Chapman water system.
"Ideally, we would be pumping once the water quit going over the dam, because then we could save more water behind the dam,” said Leonard Lee, chair of the Sunshine Coast Regional District Board.
There are still two other water licences that are pending, something the mayor believes will help to limit the number of water restrictions later this summer.
White's letter asks for approval to lower the environmental flow requirements of Chapman Creek and support the community's request to siphon the Chapman and Edwards lakes this year and next year during Stage 4 water restrictions, should the need arise.
“We recently received the adaptive management plan and low flow data from Sunshine Coast Regional District and are actively reviewing the submitted information to form a decision on the use of water under this water licence,” the ministry wrote in a statement to CTV News.
Communities on the Sunshine Coast typically get 90 millimeters of rain in May, but this year, only about one quarter of the normal amount fell.
“We've been seeing this coming for some time, only it's worse than what we predicted,” said Suzanne Senger, the executive director of the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association.
"The droughts hit year after year after year and we are recognizing that the carrying capacity of Chapman Lake is just not enough for long-term growth."
The long-term impacts of annual droughts could be far-reaching.
"Without a healthy, functioning ecosystem, things dry up," Senger said. "It affects the fish and the cycle of the trees aren't making it as well."
Lee believes further water restrictions will be possible later this summer.
"We are pretty convinced that 2023 is going to be another one of those extreme dry periods,” said Lee.
The Sunshine Coast is currently under Stage 1 water restrictions, which include limitations to plant watering and vehicle washing.
Correction
This story has been updated to reflect the location of the Church Road well. It is near Gibsons, but outside the town's borders.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.