Otonabee Conservation advises that the subject of this message is two-fold: 1) The FLOOD WARNING that was first issued Saturday April 14 is CANCELLED; and, 2) A WATERSHED CONDITIONS STATEMENT – WATER SAFETY is now in effect for all watercourses / waterbodies in the geographical jurisdiction of the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority (ORCA).
A WATERSHED CONDITIONS STATEMENT – WATER SAFETY is issued due to the combination of slippery / unstable banks, high water levels / flows and cold water temperatures creating dangerous conditions on and around area watercourses / waterbodies (for details, see text below).
WEATHER FORECAST – There is no significant precipitation forecast for the next 5 days.
OUSE RIVER, INDIAN RIVER, and TRIBUTARIES of the KAWARTHA LAKES and OTONABEE RIVER:
Although higher than normal precipitation received in the month of April and beginning of May has translated to persistent high water levels / flows, and nuisance / minor level flooding in some low-lying areas, the 5-day weather forecast means that watershed conditions are not expected to worsen, and instead, conditions will slowly improve throughout the week, this week.
KAWARTHA LAKES, OTONABEE RIVER, and RICE LAKE:
The inflows to the Kawartha Lakes from the Haliburton Lakes region are declining. As a result, the Kawartha Lakes are now in recession mode. The one exception is the tri-lakes (Buckhorn, Chemong & Pigeon), but efforts currently underway by the Trent-Severn Watery Management team will also soon turn the tri-lakes around. It will, however, take approximately one week before all of the Kawartha Lakes are within navigation range (also known as “summer level”). Therefore, current water levels / flows on the Otonabee River will hold steady for another week before water levels drop. Rice Lake is dropping.
SAFETY URGED:
Air temperatures may feel hot at this time of year, but the water temperature of area lakes, rivers, streams and creeks remain extremely cold. In addition, water that may look calm on the surface, shallow and slow-moving can easily overwhelm the strongest individuals. Therefore, whether in the water (e.g. boating, wading or crossing watercourses) or along the water’s edge (e.g., hiking, taking photos or enjoying nature’s serene sights and sounds), the ORCA advises residents and visitors to use extreme caution. The ORCA also reminds area residents and visitors to keep away from all water conveyance structures (e.g., dams, culverts and bridges), and anywhere water can be seen to be ponding.
The Otonabee Region Conservation Authority (ORCA) will continue monitoring watershed conditions, and will next update this WATERSHED CONDITIONS STATEMENT – WATER SAFETY no later than 3:00 pm MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018