The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) has declared a Level 1 Low Water Condition following a review of precipitation and stream flow data across the watershed.
The SCRCA’s Low Water Response Committee met October 17 to assess current conditions and determined that rainfall and streamflow averages have fallen below normal levels. According to the Ontario Low Water Response Program, a Level 1 condition is declared when a watershed receives 80 per cent or less of its normal precipitation over a three-month period.
“Precipitation data collected throughout the watershed indicates that the rainfall average for this July, August, and September is now below the three-month historical average,” the SCRCA said. “Stream flow data was also reviewed which provided further indications of dry conditions.”
Reduced rainfall has led to low flows across creeks, streams, and wetlands, with SCRCA flow gauges showing levels below 70 per cent of normal. “Flows below this level will also result in the necessity to declare a Level 1 Low Water Condition,” the authority said.
With the declaration, residents are being asked to voluntarily reduce water use by 10 per cent. Suggested measures include cutting back on activities such as lawn watering, vehicle washing, and pressure washing driveways.
Reducing consumption, the SCRCA noted, “will help reduce the risk of declaring more severe Low Water Level declarations in the immediate future.”
Staff will continue monitoring rainfall and streamflow data and provide updates through the SCRCA website at www.scrca.on.ca, as well as through media and social media outlets.
