Aquatic Environment
Sooke Reservoir
Sooke Reservoir is the primary source of drinking water for the Greater Victoria Drinking Water Supply System.
The Sooke Reservoir catchment area is 8,613 hectares and is about 98% owned and controlled by the Capital Regional District (CRD) Water Services Department.
The first dam on Sooke Lake was built in 1914 and formed Sooke Lake Reservoir. A new dam was constructed downstream of the first dam in 1970 and in 2003 this second dam was raised by six metres.
The reservoir has a capacity of approximately 92.7 million cubic metres (20,400 billion gallons). Sooke Reservoir supplies almost 100 percent of the water used by area residents as well as flows for the fishery in the Sooke River. The reservoir relies on inflow from precipitation and typically the highest demands occur during the period when inflow is lowest.
Goldstream Water Supply Area
The Goldstream River system consisting of Butchart, Lubbe, Goldstream and Japan Gulch Reservoirs is the second largest water source. The catchment area covers an area of 2,281 hectares. The storage capacity of the reservoir system is approximately 10 million cubic metres or 2.16 billion gallons.
CRD Water Services maintains minimum flows in the Goldstream River for salmon fishery enhancement purposes within the Goldstream Provincial Park. The Goldstream Dams were built in 1892 - 1914 and were upgraded in 1995 to meet current seismic standards.
The Goldstream Reservoirs provide backup storage to be used during drought conditions or during annual routine maintenance and emergencies when water cannot be supplied from Sooke Reservoir.