Otonabee Conservation Issues Flood Watch to Peterborough and Surrounding Area Due to Warm Weather and Rainfall
/Otonabee Conservation has issued a flood watch to Peterborough and the surrounding area due to the warm temperatures, rainfall and melting snow throughout the holidays announced on Thursday.
The watch is for the municipalities of Selwyn, Douro-Dummer, Asphodel-Norwood, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Cavan Monaghan, City of Kawartha Lakes, City of Peterborough and Trent Hills and ORCA’s other partners in flood emergency management according to Otonobee Conservation.
The flood watch is issued to alert municipalities, residents and businesses that floods are possible.
Parks Canada reports that they are managing water throughout the entire system. Increased flows are entering the Kawartha Lakes that increase water levels and could result in the potential breakup of ice cover and ice jams. Starting Thursday, the flows on the Otonabee River will be increased to convey the excess water within the system.
Otonabee Conservation expects a return of cold air temperatures over the next week, in combination with a lack of ice cover and turbulent flows on the Otonabee River may result in the generation of frazil ice (a kind of slush ice formed by cold air temperatures and wind chill combine to cause the surface water temperature to be super-cooled) which can lead to flooding.
Residents and businesses along the shores of the Otonabee River and Kawartha Lakes — especially those located in low-lying areas — are strongly encouraged by Otonobee Conservation to keep a close watch for frazil ice generation, accumulation, and jamming and to take action to limit or prevent damages due to potential flooding.
Water levels can be monitored online at:
Trent-Severn Waterway’s Water Management InfoNet
Water Survey of Canada Real-Time Hydrometric Data
Otonabee Region Conservation Authority website
