News from: June 2017

With relatively minor rain forecast for the coming week and the flood waters in decline, the RVCA is withdrawing the Flood Watch that has been in effect for the last week.

Water levels are still above normal but continuing to decline. The 3-day rainfall of 35 millimetres presently forecast for Wednesday through Friday in eastern Ontario is expected to cause a pause in the decline. Periods of heavier, localized rain may fall in thunderstorms but no significant impact is expected at this time.

Waters have receded from the North Gower area where serious flooding along Stevens Creek occurred last week. Residents continue to be faced with the cleanup.

It will continue to be risky to be around dams in the Rideau system due to the higher than normal water. Boat wakes need to be controlled with slower speeds. Caution around the water for everyone is advised.

For water level and flow information in the Rideau system as well as the Ottawa River, visit the RVCA Streamflows and Water Levels webpage at: https://www.rvca.ca/watershed-programs/reporting/streamflow-water-levels.

For more information about conditions on the Ottawa River, check the webpage of the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board at http://ottawariver.ca/river-levels-flows.php#river-levels-flows-7-days.

(WCS - 38/2017)

Ottawa South residents and guests can enjoy the soothing sights and sounds of nature along the newly upgraded Chapman Mills Conservation Area trails and boardwalk. Dignitaries and special guests gathered at the site today to celebrate and help with the installation of the final pieces of wooden boardwalk.

Owned by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), Chapman Mills is an exceptional example of conservation parkland with river shoreline, wetland and flood plain areas that are unique and vital to our local community.

“Chapman Mills is one of Ottawa’s most ecologically significant natural areas,” said Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) Chair Lyle Pederson. “It's our hope that with this newly upgraded trail, residents of all ages and abilities will be able to enjoy this wonderful shoreline environment."

Over 600 metres of boardwalk have been widened and now include turnaround areas to allow for increased accessibility. Some 50 metres of trails have also been upgraded to offer a smoother surface and gradual grading (where possible) to allow for improved recreational use. Steeper areas do exist, but now include guardrails and barriers for improved safety. Interpretive signs were also installed at both ends of the trail. New erosion control features will also ensure path stability and longevity for years to come.

These upgrades were completed over the past two years thanks to funding of up to $32,000 from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, and donations from Movati Athletic Group and the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation.

“The Chapman Mills Conservation Area project is a great example of what the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program is all about,” said Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament for Nepean. “Supporting improvements to the places where families go to spend quality time together is an ideal way to invest in our communities so that they can be enjoyed by Canadians for years to come.”

“Movati Athletic Group is delighted to support outdoor recreation and promote physical activity of all kinds,” said Sean Whittal, Area Director, Movati Athletic Group who unfortunately could not attend but sent greetings. “We hope these improvements will allow everyone to experience the beauty of nature and environmental conservation first hand.” 

“This project builds on years of work, including community and business investments,” said Jason Kelly, Chair of the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation. “We are delighted to see these investments in popular community areas, especially those as unique and as valuable as at Chapman Mills.”

This 23-acre parcel of conservation land is located on the west bank of the Rideau River on Prince of Wales Drive between Winding Way and Lodge Road. The site boasts a picnic shelter, scenic lookouts along the trail, walkways and boardwalks that lead pedestrians on a 1.8 kilometre stroll through sensitive and beautiful habitats.

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The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program is providing up to $300 million nationally to support the renovation, expansion and improvement of existing community and cultural infrastructure as part of the Government of Canada’s activities to celebrate Canada’s 150^th anniversary of confederation in 2017.

Operating since 1997, Movati Athletic Group has four facilities in Ottawa (a fifth opening in late fall 2017 in Nepean) and employs over 500 full-time and part-time employees.

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) is one of 36 Conservation Authorities in the Province of Ontario. RVCA looks to work with the watershed community to protect, restore and restore the Rideau watershed.

The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is a registered environmental charity working to help protect and conserve the lands and waters of the valley of the Rideau River in Eastern Ontario.

As Stevens Creek levels slowly decline, residents of North Gower continue to deal with water in basements and on streets as a result of record setting rainfall.

On the Rideau, minor flooding of low-lying areas on the Long Reach have access issues similar to what often occurs in the spring. Parks Canada staff are doing strategic dam operations to get water levels down throughout the Canal system with as little impact as possible.

With high flows passing through the dams, boaters are advised to stay well away. Also with high waters, boat wake becomes a problem causing damage to shorelines. The best choice is to leave the boat tied up or out of the water until normal navigation levels are reached. Also, boats and docks need to be well secured to avoid floating away.

No significant rain is presently in the forecast and, therefore, the decline in levels can be expected to continue over the next week. However, with the ground saturated and little capacity for infiltration, residents need to be aware that another bout of rain could cause runoff to go directly to the streams and flows to rapidly rise again.

All residents need to be aware of the dangers around all waterbodies especially close to the dams and locks in the Canal system.

For water level and flow information in the Rideau system as well as the Ottawa River, visit the RVCA Streamflows and Water Levels webpage at:

https://www.rvca.ca/watershed-programs/reporting/streamflow-water-levels

For more information about conditions on the Ottawa River, check the webpage of the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board at http://ottawariver.ca/river-levels-flows.php#river-levels-flows-7-days .

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) is conducting several hazard mapping studies on watercourses within the City of Ottawa and the RVCA area of jurisdiction. For some watercourses, old mapping will be updated; and for others, hazards maps will be created for the first time. 

Project Status: Complete

Hogs Back to Kars & Kars to Burritts Rapids

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) has completed two hazard mapping studies for the Rideau River: Hogs Back to Kars and Kars to Burritts Rapids. These studies update existing mapping in some areas and new mapping in others.

These maps are typically known as “floodplain mapping” and they show areas that are prone to natural hazards such as flooding, erosion and natural environment features such as wetlands. Both Rideau River studies look at identifying two main types of hazards along these stretches of the watercourse: flooding and slope stability. 

When completed, the mapping will be used by the City of Ottawa and the Municipality of North Grenville when updating their Official Plan and Zoning Schedules and in the review of development applications under the Planning Act. RVCA will also use the mapping to guide the review of development applications submitted under the Province’s Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend our open house and/or provide comments on the mapping below. Conservation Authority staff welcome historical records of past flood events, news clippings, photographs and even anecdotal stories to help confirm the reasonableness of calculations and resulting hazard mapping. For those unable to attend the open house, comments can be sent to Ferdous Ahmed, RVCA Senior Water Resources Engineer at .

These mapping studies are being completed as part of the City of Ottawa Hazard Mapping Project.

These studies are being done through a collaboration — known as the City of Ottawa Hazard Mapping Project — involving the City of Ottawa and the Mississippi Valley, Rideau Valley and South Nation Conservation Authorities. The City recognized a need to update its zoning schedules based on up-to-date flood risk mapping and has provided contributions enabling the Conservation Authorities to move ahead with these studies sooner than would otherwise be possible. The RVCA is currently working on several studies in the Ottawa area.