News from: July 2018

August 30, 2018 –  This statement is to advise that the low water status in the Rideau River watershed remains at “Minor” Severity except for the Kemptville Creek sub-watershed which continues to be “Moderate” Severity.

Flow in Kemptville Creek has continued to be very low. The amount of rain measured in the Kemptville Creek sub-watershed for the same time period is well below the historical average at both Kemptville and at the Brockville Airport near the Creek headwaters The impact of the low flow is that aquatic creatures living in the Creek are confined to smaller and smaller pools that are getting warmer and becoming short of oxygen.

The average rainfall on the whole Rideau watershed for the last thirty days is below the threshold of 80% of normal for “Minor” Severity. Rainfall was relatively heavy in some areas of the lower reaches of the system on the 29^th;18 millimetres at Ottawa Airport compared to 0.2 mm at Westport. Some rain is forecast to fall through next week but, if it follows the pattern to date, little impact will be seen. Lawns will be green but trees are suffering from the lack of persistent light rain over several days that gets water to the deeper roots. 

The Rideau Canal reservoir lake levels are as little as a day (Wolfe Lake) to three weeks earlier than levels normally reached at this time of year and a week to three weeks below the target levels. However, there is sufficient depth that Parks Canada is able to state “Normal Draft. Normal Navigation” for the Rideau system on their infonet.

Water conservation is recommended for all residents of the Rideau River watershed. Municipalities may have invoked water restrictions and burn bans. Check your municipal website for applicable bylaws. Those who have permits for taking water from surface or groundwater sources are encouraged to reduce their actual taking as much as possible.

Conservation Authority staff continue to monitor conditions and communicate with water managers throughout the watershed. Updates to this message will be issued as conditions warrant.

Other relevant information sources are:

• Ministry of Environment and Climate Change: https://www.ontario.ca/page/managing-your-water-well-times-water-shortage
• Ontario’s Low Water Response program: https://www.ontario.ca/page/low-water-response-program.
• Parks Canada Infonet: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/rideau/info/infonet/tirant-deau-draft
• RVCA website: www.rvca.ca
• Hourly and daily streamflows and water levels: https://www.rvca.ca/watershed-monitoring-reporting/reporting/streamflow-water-levels

Rideau Valley Conservation Authority is a partnership of municipalities within the Rideau Valley watershed created under the Conservation Authorities Act to deliver a range of programs in watershed management and natural resource conservation.

August 30, 2018 –  This statement is to advise that the low water status in the Rideau River watershed remains at “Minor” Severity except for the Kemptville Creek sub-watershed which continues to be “Moderate” Severity.

Flow in Kemptville Creek has continued to be very low. The amount of rain measured in the Kemptville Creek sub-watershed for the same time period is well below the historical average at both Kemptville and at the Brockville Airport near the Creek headwaters The impact of the low flow is that aquatic creatures living in the Creek are confined to smaller and smaller pools that are getting warmer and becoming short of oxygen.

The average rainfall on the whole Rideau watershed for the last thirty days is below the threshold of 80% of normal for “Minor” Severity. Rainfall was relatively heavy in some areas of the lower reaches of the system on the 29^th;18 millimetres at Ottawa Airport compared to 0.2 mm at Westport. Some rain is forecast to fall through next week but, if it follows the pattern to date, little impact will be seen. Lawns will be green but trees are suffering from the lack of persistent light rain over several days that gets water to the deeper roots. 

The Rideau Canal reservoir lake levels are as little as a day (Wolfe Lake) to three weeks earlier than levels normally reached at this time of year and a week to three weeks below the target levels. However, there is sufficient depth that Parks Canada is able to state “Normal Draft. Normal Navigation” for the Rideau system on their infonet.

Water conservation is recommended for all residents of the Rideau River watershed. Municipalities may have invoked water restrictions and burn bans. Check your municipal website for applicable bylaws. Those who have permits for taking water from surface or groundwater sources are encouraged to reduce their actual taking as much as possible.

Conservation Authority staff continue to monitor conditions and communicate with water managers throughout the watershed. Updates to this message will be issued as conditions warrant.

Other relevant information sources are:

• Ministry of Environment and Climate Change: https://www.ontario.ca/page/managing-your-water-well-times-water-shortage
• Ontario’s Low Water Response program: https://www.ontario.ca/page/low-water-response-program.
• Parks Canada Infonet: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/rideau/info/infonet/tirant-deau-draft
• RVCA website: www.rvca.ca
• Hourly and daily streamflows and water levels: https://www.rvca.ca/watershed-monitoring-reporting/reporting/streamflow-water-levels

Rideau Valley Conservation Authority is a partnership of municipalities within the Rideau Valley watershed created under the Conservation Authorities Act to deliver a range of programs in watershed management and natural resource conservation.

AUGUST 20, 2018, RIDEAU VALLEY AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WATERSHEDS – The Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Committee wants your input on their Draft Amendment for the Rideau Valley Source Protection Area Assessment Report and Source Protection Plan (prepared under Ontario’s Clean Water Act).

The Draft Amendment for the Assessment Report identifies:

• A new wellhead protection area for the new municipal well system for the Western Development Lands in Richmond
• Revised wellhead protection areas for the existing municipal well systems in King’s Park Richmond and Munster
• Potential drinking water threats in the new and existing wellhead protection areas

The Draft Amendment for the Source Protection Plan does not include any policy changes but rather simple updates to reflect the addition of new or revised wellhead protection areas in Munster and Richmond, including updated maps and schedules.

There are several ways to view the Draft Amendment: 

Visit the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region’s website:

•  www.mrsourcewater.ca/en/richmond-munster-proposed-well-amendment

Visit either of the Conservation Authority Offices: 

• Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, 10970 Hwy. 7 Carleton Place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays 
• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, 3889 Rideau Valley Drive, Manotick from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays

Contact Tessa Di Iorio at the City of Ottawa at 613-582-2424 ext. 17658 to schedule a viewing appointment at: 

• North Gower Client Service Centre, 2155 Rogers Stevens Drive, North Gower
• Laurier Client Service Centre, 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa  

For more information or to provide comments, please contact: Brian Stratton, Project Manager

Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region
3889 Rideau Valley Drive, PO Box 599, Manotick, ON K4M 1A5
613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1141

All comments must be received no later than Friday, September 28, 2018.

August 20, 2018 –  This statement is to advise that the low water status in the Rideau River watershed generally remains at “Minor” Severity except for the Kemptville Creek sub-watershed which has risen to “Moderate” Severity.

Rainfall in eastern Ontario has been widely varied since late July. What rain that has fallen in the Kemptville Creek sub-watershed has had little effect on flows with much of it infiltrating into the soil and retained in wetlands. The Creek is down to intermittent pools in some sections. Beaver have been active, building dams that contribute to the ponding. At the same time, they are creating pools upstream of their dams they are causing or expanding dry sections downstream. The ponding on Kemptville Creek and other streams has left fish and other aquatic populations to cope with confined spaces, warmer water and declining oxygen concentrations.

Conditions in the rest of the Rideau watershed are closer to “Minor” Severity which has been in place for the last two weeks. Much less rain than was forecast fell on Thursday and Friday last week. Water levels continue to decline and all monitoring stations are showing levels below average. Rain is forecast for tomorrow but, with weather systems as erratic as they have been, it remains to be seen how significant an impact there will be.

The Rideau Canal reservoir lakes all continue to have levels below normal. Sufficient draft is still available for boats on the system but caution is advised. Other lakes have also had falling water levels and aquatic plants and algae are thriving on some due to the warm temperatures and shallower depths.

Longer range forecasts indicate warmer and dryer conditions than normal through the rest of the summer and into the fall. If that forecast comes to pass, flows and levels can be expected to fall well below normal.

Water conservation should be practiced by everyone within the Rideau River watershed. Various actions all contribute to the conservation of our water resources. Municipalities may have invoked water restrictions and burn bans so check your municipal website for applicable bylaws. Those who have permits for taking water from surface or groundwater sources are encouraged to reduce their actual taking as much as possible.

Conservation Authority staff continue to monitor conditions and communicate with water managers throughout the watershed. Updates to this message will be issued as conditions warrant.

Other relevant information sources are:

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change: https://www.ontario.ca/page/managing-your-water-well-times-water-shortage

Ontario’s Low Water Response program: https://www.ontario.ca/page/low-water-response-program.

RVCA website: www.rvca.ca

Hourly and daily streamflows and water levels: https://www.rvca.ca/watershed-monitoring-reporting/reporting/streamflow-water-levels .

August 20, 2018 –  This statement is to advise that the low water status in the Rideau River watershed generally remains at “Minor” Severity except for the Kemptville Creek sub-watershed which has risen to “Moderate” Severity.

Rainfall in eastern Ontario has been widely varied since late July. What rain that has fallen in the Kemptville Creek sub-watershed has had little effect on flows with much of it infiltrating into the soil and retained in wetlands. The Creek is down to intermittent pools in some sections. Beaver have been active, building dams that contribute to the ponding. At the same time, they are creating pools upstream of their dams they are causing or expanding dry sections downstream. The ponding on Kemptville Creek and other streams has left fish and other aquatic populations to cope with confined spaces, warmer water and declining oxygen concentrations.

Conditions in the rest of the Rideau watershed are closer to “Minor” Severity which has been in place for the last two weeks. Much less rain than was forecast fell on Thursday and Friday last week. Water levels continue to decline and all monitoring stations are showing levels below average. Rain is forecast for tomorrow but, with weather systems as erratic as they have been, it remains to be seen how significant an impact there will be.

The Rideau Canal reservoir lakes all continue to have levels below normal. Sufficient draft is still available for boats on the system but caution is advised. Other lakes have also had falling water levels and aquatic plants and algae are thriving on some due to the warm temperatures and shallower depths.

Longer range forecasts indicate warmer and dryer conditions than normal through the rest of the summer and into the fall. If that forecast comes to pass, flows and levels can be expected to fall well below normal.

Water conservation should be practiced by everyone within the Rideau River watershed. Various actions all contribute to the conservation of our water resources. Municipalities may have invoked water restrictions and burn bans so check your municipal website for applicable bylaws. Those who have permits for taking water from surface or groundwater sources are encouraged to reduce their actual taking as much as possible.

Conservation Authority staff continue to monitor conditions and communicate with water managers throughout the watershed. Updates to this message will be issued as conditions warrant.

Other relevant information sources are:

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change: https://www.ontario.ca/page/managing-your-water-well-times-water-shortage

Ontario’s Low Water Response program: https://www.ontario.ca/page/low-water-response-program.

RVCA website: www.rvca.ca

Hourly and daily streamflows and water levels: https://www.rvca.ca/watershed-monitoring-reporting/reporting/streamflow-water-levels .