Watershed Conditions Statements
July 26, 2017
Floodwaters Receding Slowly
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.…
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Watershed Conditions Statements
Flooding has occurred in areas of the Rideau Watershed as a result of rains that were closer to monthly totals than daily amounts. The community of North Gower has had floodwaters in some homes and in the streets near Stevens Creek. Low-lying areas along the Rideau and its tributaries have also been flooded but no residential flooding has been reported or is expected in those areas at this time. A weather system moving into eastern Ontario Wednesday night may bring more rain in thunder storms. What impact these storms will have will depend on timing, intensity and size. The decline…
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Watershed Conditions Statements
July 24, 2017
Heavy Rains Forecast in Rideau River Watershed
Heavy rains forecast for Monday into Tuesday could cause rapid increases in water levels in small streams and raise rivers and lakes to above normal levels. The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) has issued a Rainfall Warning that says “A slow moving upper disturbance over Lake Huron is expected to generate significant rainfall amounts over much of Eastern Ontario”. As much as 100 millimetres (mm) of rain is possible over a wide area. A few days without rain provided some capacity for infiltration of the rain into the soil but that storage has been filled with water levels already on…
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Watershed Conditions Statements
Above normal rain has received plenty of attention over recent weeks with close to a normal month worth of rain having fallen at several monitoring locations in the Rideau watershed in half the month of July. Most extreme is at the Ottawa Airport where 109 millimetres (mm) has fallen to date where 92 mm is the 30 year historical average. Normal precipitation on the watershed to mid-July is about 504 mm. This year, an average of 729 mm has been recorded. After relatively high spring levels in April on Rideau watershed streams and lakes, rainfall has continued to keep levels…
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Watershed Conditions Statements
July 02, 2017
Rain Causing High Flows on Tributary Streams
Heavy rain that has fallen on the Rideau River watershed over the last week has caused some smaller streams to overtop their banks.Rainfall on July 1 was varied over the watershed with 42 millimetres measured at the Ottawa Airport, 31 mm at Franktown in the upper Jock River watershed but less than 10 mm in Kemptville and Westport.Flooding is not expected on the Rideau or the major tributaries, Tay and Jock Rivers and Kemptville Creek. However, safety is an issue around smaller streams that have fast flows with wet and muddy banks, for example, Stevens and Sawmill Creek. Parents need…
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Watershed Conditions Statements
June 02, 2017
Flood Watch Terminated For Rideau Watershed
Rain forecast for Sunday and Monday can be expected to cause levels throughout the watershed to turn upward; however, no flooding is expected. Rain, possibly 20 to 25 millimetres, can be expected to raise levels in watershed rivers and lakes but not to flood stage similar to what occurred last weekend. Level and flow increases are expected to last for two or three days before returning to gradual declines toward long term averages. With water levels declining and no flooding expected, the Flood Watch, maintained over the last week for the Tay River, is terminated. Conservation Authority staff will continue…
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Watershed Conditions Statements
