Dear editor,
BC Hydro is committed to protecting the environment, while it continues to deliver clean, safe, reliable power to our customers. As part of our water use planning, we ensure our operational needs with other water use interests in the areas we operate across the province are met.
We manage the Comox Lake reservoir with a priority on dam safety, flood risk management and protecting fish and their habitats. Due to the drier watershed conditions this summer, we made electricity generation reductions and then shut down generation in July for a scheduled penstock capital project. The focus has been on providing flows downstream for fish habitat.
For many years we’ve worked with various agencies to manage water levels while protecting the fish habitat. In addition, BC Hydro works in collaboration with the Comox Valley Regional District on their decisions to manage their water restrictions as we monitor water supply conditions within the reservoir.
With climate change, we know that unpredictable weather patterns will continue, and we’ll have to continue to adapt. Our goal is to have the adaptive capacity to continue to provide our customers with safe, reliable, clean electricity.
As you know, British Columbia is fortunate to have an electricity system built on hydroelectric generation, which allows BC Hydro to ramp electricity generation up and down as required to meet the electricity demand of customers. This also comes especially handy with our priorities on dam safety, flood risk management and protecting fish and their habitats.
Stephen Watson
BC Hydro