Watershed Conditions Statement - Water Safety - January 11

A Provincial Watershed Conditions Statement has been issued for Southern Ontario by the Surface Water Monitoring Centre of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

WATERSHED CONDITIONS STATEMENT – WATER SAFETY 

Kawartha Conservation Watershed

DATE: Wednesday January 11, 2022

TIME: 2:40 pm

Message sent based on information received from:

• Kawartha Conservation Flood Forecasting Network
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry - Surface Water Monitoring Centre
• Environment Canada
• Trent-Severn Waterway

WATERSHED CONDITIONS STATEMENT – In effect January 12 – January 14.

A Provincial Watershed Conditions Statement has been issued for Southern Ontario by the Surface Water Monitoring Centre of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

A low-pressure weather system will enter southwestern Ontario on Thursday morning, bringing significant precipitation to the region. Up to 20 – 30mm of precipitation are forecast over Thursday – Friday, while the system moves slowly through southern Ontario toward Quebec.

On Thursday, the air temperature is anticipated to remain above the freezing mark, dipping below 0°C for the entire region overnight into Friday.

Widespread flooding is not anticipated, however water levels and flows in watercourses across the Kawartha Conservation watershed jurisdiction remain higher than normal at this time. Near saturated or frozen ground conditions could increase runoff and prolong elevated water conditions in rivers and streams throughout the Kawartha Region.

All watercourses have the potential to be dangerous at this time of year and Kawartha Conservation is warning all residents to stay a safe distance from all streams and rivers, as well as water structures such as bridges, culverts, and dams, and that lake ice conditions are unsafe in many areas. Riverbanks can be slippery during rain events, especially with snow and ice already on the ground, children should be warned of the dangerous conditions, and supervised while outside.

Northern tributaries, such as the Burnt and Gull River are monitored by staff from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF). Residents along these two rivers are requested to direct any questions concerning water levels to the MNRF Minden Area office at 705-286-5207 or refer to the messages issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) at https://www.ontario.ca/law-and-safety/flood-forecasting-and-warning-program.

Additional information from the TSW is available at the Water Management InfoNet web page https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/info/infonet.

This Watershed Condition Statement – Water Safety will be in effect through Saturday January 14^th, 2023.

Kawartha Conservation will continue monitoring local watercourses and notify the public and municipalities within its watershed jurisdiction of any changes. We are in close communication with partner agencies such as the Trent Severn Waterway, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and neighbouring Conservation Authorities during all flood situations.

If you are aware of or have concerns about flooding, please contact Kawartha Conservation at 705.328.2271 or 705.344.0155 after hours.

Rob Stavinga
Watershed Resources Technician  

Matthew Mantle
Director, Planning and Development Services

Watershed Conditions Statement – Water Safety is a general notice that existing or potential conditions pose a risk to personal safety. Watershed Conditions Statements - Water Safety may be issued when streams are flowing at or near bank full levels, when ice conditions are unsafe, or when stream banks are icy, soft and/or slippery.