With the warming temperatures, melting snow and rising ditches, a North Kent Councillor and farmer says the rural communities have an assortment of issues to deal with.
Leon Leclair said when he got home from vacation, he could see the “rural” signs of spring.
“The ditch in front of my house is right to the top, my farm land is flooded,” he said. “I called the area drainage supervisors, some of our drains are right full of snow and ice.”
Leclair, who owns a farm in Dover, said it is important for residents in rural Chatham-Kent to check their sump pumps.
“I just want people to be prepared if we do get a rain event (today) just to run into their house, down in the basement, check your sump pumps,” he said. “Make sure there is no Lego’s in there, or chew toys from the dog, or the cat didn’t pull the plug out. Your sump pumps are going to be working extra hard because the land is so saturated.”
Leclair said some localized flooding is possible.
“I know around my house my farm is under water,” he said. “That means the pumps are going to be working harder. A lot of the time in the spring we think about the rivers, but if you have a finished basement out here in rural Chatham-Kent, make sure you keep an eye on your sump pump. The drainage schemes are right flooded to the top.”
Leclair said it is hard to tell at the moment if any winter wheat will be damaged from the water.
“The wheat is dormant, so it is not breathing right now,” he said. “But water on top of a living crop is never good.”
Leclair added the frigid temperatures of this past winter is in fact going to cause some damage to the crop.
“Without a doubt, there will be some damage,” he said.
