In October 2023, the Ontario Government opened funding for the Community Emergency Preparedness Grant (CEPG) to help communities and organizations purchase critical supplies, equipment and deliver training and services to improve local emergency preparation and response.
The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) was able to obtain $25,500 worth of funding through this grant and is looking to add 10 to 15 water level sensors and two precipitation gauges across the watershed that will support flood monitoring in the SCRCA watershed.
The ToltHawk Water Level Sensor and the AquaSwift Water Depth and Temperature Logger will be placed throughout the watershed and used to monitor water level, SCRCA officials say.
The new sensors will be placed strategically at locations that experience frequent road closures and other key areas of interest to complement the Authorities’ existing 12 monitoring stations.
This project and the addition of these sensors will improve early warning communications to municipalities during future flood events.
“Our role is to monitor watershed conditions and to warn our partner municipalities of the threat level for flood,” said Nicholas Hagerty, SCRCA’s Water Resources Technician, in a press release.
“With this funding we will be able to add to our network of 11 stream gauges, five snow sampling stations, ice monitoring and current meteorological data, and therefore improve monitoring of watershed conditions.”
The SCRCA is looking to increase awareness of their flood monitoring program and the awareness around these sensors across the watershed.
“We are excited and looking forward to receiving this new avenue of information,” Hagerty added.
“The Community Emergency Preparedness Grant is part of the government’s $110 million plan to strengthen emergency preparedness across Ontario,” stated Trevor Jones, Associate Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response, in a media release.
“Targeted investments such as this one for the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority will increase local resilience by supporting enhanced flood monitoring,” “By working together, we can keep our province safe, practiced and prepared.”
The SCRCA would like to remind the public that flooding is a natural process and while the Authority has done much to reduce the risk to life and property, some flooding in developed areas is still inevitable.
The Authority, therefore, operates a flood warning program designed to warn residents in flood-prone areas.
Should a flood be imminent, the Municipal Flood Coordinators and the media are contacted, and officials take appropriate action.
The SCRCA Water Resources and Communications team also posts all Flood notices in the following locations:
– https://www.scrca.on.ca/category/floodnotice/
– https://www.facebook.com/StClairConservation
– https://x.com/stclairregionca
The following are the different types of flood notices Conservation Authorities issue:
– Normal (Green): No flood conditions exist.
– Watershed Conditions Statement – Water Safety (Yellow): High flows, unsafe banks, melting ice or other factors that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers, canoeists, hikers, children, pets, etc. Flooding is not expected.
– Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook (Yellow): Early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high wind or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams, lakeshore flooding or erosion.
– Flood Watch (Orange): Flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services, and individual landowners in flood-prone areas should prepare.
– Flood Warning (Red): Flooding is imminent or already occurring in specific watercourses or municipalities.
The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority is located in southwestern Ontario and includes the Sydenham River watershed and smaller watersheds draining directly into southern Lake Huron, the St. Clair River and northeastern Lake St. Clair. The Conservation Authority implements programs to reduce the risk to life and property from flooding and erosion and promote water and land stewardship, forestry, wildlife habitat creation, conservation education, and outdoor recreation.
For more information, visit our website at www.scrca.on.ca.
