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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.