Sunshine Coast water restrictions remain despite rain

It seems like much of B.C. has gone from summer drought to winter storms at the flip of a switch this year, and that’s not good news for parts of the Sunshine Coast.

The regional district is looking to extend its state of local emergency due to what it calls “uncertainty of our water supply in the coming months.”

Without any lag time for their main reservoir to fill up before freezing temperatures and snow have set in, water levels on Chapman Lake remain very low.

“Usually, there is more time between dry summer weather and freezing temperatures at Chapman Lake, which allows the watershed to recharge and the lake to fill before it freezes,” the regional district explained, with images showing a lake that is “nowhere near full” and grounds covered in snow.

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“You may have seen Chapman Creek roaring after the recent rain last week, but once the rain stops or falls as snow, creek levels can drop dramatically,” Remko Rosenboom, Emergency Operations Centre director, said. “In winter, we rely on water running through the watershed into the lakes and water overflowing from our lake reservoirs, both of which we cannot count on this year due to extended drought this past summer and October.”

Images taken on Nov. 1 of this year and Sept. 20 of 2021 also show the stark difference in water levels.

A side by side image of Chapman Lake on the Sunshine Coast showing the difference in water levels between Sept. 2021 and Nov. 2022. The photo on the left was taken on Sept. 20, 2021 and the picture on the right was taken on Nov. 1, 2022. (Courtesy Sunshine Coast Regional District)

This all means Stage-4 water restrictions are staying in place until further notice.

In addition to lawn watering, Stage-4 restrictions mean homeowners are also prohibited from things like car washing and hot tub filling.

Farm class properties may pay a metred rate for water.

“Despite recent rainfall, we remain cautious about securing adequate water supply into the winter months. Our recent drought period has brought many unknowns about how our watershed will recharge,” said Rosenboom.