Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News -Cortes Island is in the midst of a level four drought.
There have been worse dry periods in the instrumental records, much worse according to a University of Victoria study of tree ring data, and most likely more severe droughts in the years to come.
“Summer is very typically a very dry time of year for the Island, as well as for the Gulf Islands. The problem is that because we didn’t get the Spring rains, we’re starting at a level that is lower than what it would be within a typical year,” said Ashlee Jollymore, a Hydrologist with the Water Management Branch in Victoria
>>> Shallow wells
Some of Cortes Island’s shallow well owners are approaching a critical point.
John Preston describes the situation in terms of the Island’s aquifer.
“When we moved to Cortes Island, 18 years ago, a dear architect friend who looked over this property for us said, ‘you will need water.”
“I said, ‘Okay. we’ll drill a well.’”
“He said, ‘Please do not drill a well. Have a high quality surface well. Every well we drill now ultimately weakens our long term water aspect.’”
Preston agreed and now has a 27’ deep surface well, but the water situation appears to be worsening.
The marshland above his property used to remain swamp all year round; now it is dry during the summer.
Preston has been dealing with water shortages every summer for the past five years. This is the worst. The water shortages he usually deals with in late August is already here.
“We are four weeks early in our water deprivation and there is a chance our water deprivation will go longer into the Fall than usual,” he said. “We may have to close down our business.”
He has two choices: drilling a well (and hope the aquifer won’t fail) or moving to a rainwater catchment system.
>>> Rainwater catchment
His friends Kristen Schofield-Sweet and John Shook have been dependent on a catchment system for 31 years.
“Of course at that time, we didn’t know about climate change or that rainwater would become an issue. We are, if anything, more pleased now that we have that system, rather than feeling anxious and alarmed that somehow we’ve misjudged and are going to run out of water,” said Schofield Sweet.
One of their small concrete cisterns is dry and the water level is low in the second, but their big 3,000 gallon cistern is untouched.
The cisterns were partially dug into the earth, which means the water is always cold. As the system is gravity fed, it is also impervious to power shortages. It supplies all of their needs except drinking water, which they obtain at the Gorge Marina.
