Erin Haluschak
Record staff
In response to numerous inquiries, BC Hydro has clarified why a warning sign for above normal flows was posted at Nymph Falls.
Several Record readers asked why large amounts of water was leaving Comox Lake going directly to sea.
Stephen Watson, stakeholder engagement and communications representative for BC Hydro, explained the company has a public safety protocol to provide caution signage when flows in this stretch of the river are about 10 m3/s in the summer period.
“Flows were 12 m3/s earlier (last week) and the signs will come down now that the flow rate is about 8.5 m3/s,” he added in an email.
“They were put up on June 16 when BC Hydro shut down the generating station.”
He noted there is no water passing through the station, rather, it is going down the Nymph Falls and Stotan Falls stretch of the Puntledge River.
Watson said there is an extreme conservation flow rate in place.
Earlier this month, the regional district implemented Stage 3 water restrictions in order to maintain an ample supply of community water.