walking

DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST Times Colonist Sunday, July 7 2024

 Kathy Haesevoets at the Leech Tunnel near the CRD’s Sooke Lake Reservoir. The Capital Regional District (CRD) built the tunnel linking the Leech River to the Sooke Lake Reservoir in 1987, but it has never been used. According to the CRD Regional Water Supply 2022 master plan, the tunnel is expected to come into service by 2042. Although Canadians use more water per capita than other countries around the world, many in the Capital Region have embraced water conservation through measures such as letting lawns go brown in summer and planting less water-hungry plants, driving down consumption from 559 litres per capita per day in 1998 to 337 litres in 2022 — among the lowest in the province for a major metropolitan area. That’s happened despite a population growth of between 1 and 1.5 per cent per year, said Kathy Haesevoets, an information technician with CRD Integrated Water Services, who notes that if consumption drops to 300 litres a day, the CRD could put off supplementing the Sooke Lake Reservoir with the backup plan — Leech River-area water — for 20 years. Elk/Beaver Lake became the growing city’s water source in 1872. The two lakes, once separate, were joined with the damming of Colquitz Creek. Filter beds were installed in 1896 after residents complained of finding fish and tadpoles in their drinking water.  

When residents turned on their taps in 1905, the water was flowing from reservoirs in the Goldstream area, which still has four surface-water reservoirs, with a volume of approximately 10 million cubic metres and a catchment area of 2,109 hectares. In 2007 and 2010, the CRD purchased land from private forest land holders that forms the catchment area around the Leech River to ensure access to the water source and prevent any contamination from industrial or agricultural use. That property, which had been 95 per cent harvested, according to the CRD, has more than 400 kilometres of roads, and is currently undergoing restoration to remove old logging infrastructure, upgrade main roads and deactivate and rehabilitate excess roads.

 The ability of the CRD to own and manage 98 per cent of the land that drains into the Sooke and Goldstream water supply reservoirs — the catchment area — makes the system unusual, as most municipalities rely on public lakes for their water.  

To ensure the water is safe for human consumption, it’s run through a three-step disinfection process that starts with the use of ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and parasites. A low dose (1.5 to 2.5 mg/litre) of chlorine is added next, to kill viruses. Ammonia is added as a final step to prevent bacterial contamination as the water travels through the distribution system pipes.

Labels: crd, kapoor, leech, watershed

Monday we took the Capital Regional District's (CRD) annual watershed tour. We've taken it in past years but its amenities have been scaled back considerably. No more air-conditioned tour buses; no more tents at the dam-site and no more chairs at the dam-site.

The tents protected passengers from the elements while eating lunch and the chairs were to sit on while eating lunch. No more. Not a tent nor chair to be found.

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But, the price remains the same: Free. "You get what you pay for," is the new credo.

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Today's photo is of Doug MacFarlane, local historian extraordinaire. Doug -- like ourselves -- has taken the CRD Watershed tour before but we have not met while doing so. We have, however, met Doug on a few occasions while requesting historical, Vancouver Island information

Labels: crd, sooke, walked, watershed

Monday we drove to Sooke but not to cycle nor walk. Kind of refreshing in a way.

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Elida Peers, curator at Charters Salmon Hatchery and Charters River Salmon Interpretive Centre, and her volunteers did a wonderful of job of putting together a first-class exhibit at the marvelous venue she and her team were so pivotal in completing on the banks of Charters Creek at 2895 Sooke River Road. Charters River Salmon Interpretive Centre opened its doors to the public September 28, 2011.

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Water Pipeline Exhibit at the Charter River Salmon Centre Sooke Lake Water's Incredible Journey To Victoria
The mammoth undertaking of constructing a water pipe flowline to carry water from Sooke Lake to supply Victoria has to be one of the most remarkable feats of engineering ever to take place on Vancouver Island. 37,000 concrete sections, 4 ft diameter by 4 ft length were manufactured on the shore of Sooke Basin and transported by narrow gauge railway northwest as far as Sooke Lake and east as far as Goldstream, where the Humpback Reservoir was built to facilitate the distribution of water throughout Victoria. Visitors are invited to view the fascinating pictorial history of the challenges and the people who made it all happen, during the years 1911 to 1915.

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Co-sponsored by the Sooke Region Museum, the show will take place daily, August 1st through September 28th, from 10am to 4pm, at the Charters River Salmon Interpretive Centre, 2895 Sooke River Road; Phone 250-642-6351 or 4200.

Labels: sooke, walked, watershed

Monday we went on the 2014 Greater Victoria Water Supply System Public Tour sponsored by the Capital Regional District (CRD).

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Held from May 5 until 10, residents of the region are invited to register for the 25th annual public tours of the Greater Victoria Water Supply Area and water supply facilities in celebration of BC's Drinking Water Week. The water system serves a population of approximately 340,000 people within the region. The free tour provides a first-hand look at the Greater Victoria Water Supply Area and our water supply facilities. It provides an opportunity to learn more about the care taken to provide Greater Victoria with clean, safe drinking water everyday.

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We went with two other couples from the legion and enjoyed their company immensely. Can't wait for next year's tour.

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If you liked the pictures you'll LOVE the 2-min. VIDEO

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FlickR Watershed Photos

Labels: walked, watershed