"Don't go Worrying About Water Flows"

Ok, maybe not the best re-creation of TLC’s, "don't go chasing waterfalls," but it works.

Every year, our number one question received is, how are water levels?

We will start off with a disclaimer. The Cowichan River has been under a lot of stress over the last few years as low snow pack and low June rainfall have made for a challenging time keeping river flows where they should be. The river is controlled by a weir, which is located right outside the Tube Shack, and that creates a sensitive balancing act of holding enough water back to keep adequate flow during the summer to keep the fish happy until the September rain arrives. This has led to the Cowichan River being the most monitored river in all of Canada.

In 2024, a new river minimum was set at 7 cubic metres per second, a significant increase from 2023’s levels of 4.5 cubic metres per second. This kept the fish happy and...... it's a way better tube ride.

A heightened weir will fix all these problems and is on the way in hopefully the near future.

With all this in mind, it does seem insensitive to say, but the new river-flows on the Cowichan River are perfect for tubing and will be all summer long (and into the future).