Mississippi Valley watershed in ‘minor’ drought
Special to WC Online
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WATERSHED— The Ontario Low Water Response Program declared the Mississippi Valley watershed is at a Level 1 Minor Drought status, on July 19.
Dry weather continues to dominate the Mississippi Valley watershed, causing flows and levels to drop. Rainfall amounts have been extremely low to nonexistent for the month of July. Although there is some rainfall in the forecast, the amounts predicted are expected to have minimal impact on existing conditions. The Mississippi Valley Conservation Area is requesting residents, businesses and other industries throughout the watershed to reduce their water consumption by 10 per cent in order to help mitigate the impacts of low water conditions.
Water conservation is recommended for everyone within the Mississippi and Carp river watersheds and residents on private wells inside the City of Ottawa boundary. Those who have permits for taking water from surface or groundwater sources are encouraged to reduce their actual taking as much as possible. Residents on private well systems are also urged to use water conservatively. Using rain barrels to capture any rain to water lawns and gardens, and avoid using pressure washers to clean houses, driveways, decks and fences all contribute to the conservation of our water resources. Municipalities may have invoked water restrictions, so check your municipality’s website for water restriction bylaws. For more water conservation tips visit www.mvc.on.ca.
Daily water levels and flows are available on the MVCA website here. In order to track impacts of the drought conditions within the watershed, we request that any individuals or business within the Mississippi Valley watershed that are experiencing difficulties with their wells please contact the Conservation Authority by calling 613-253-0006 ext. 233 or 243. We have established a survey form on our web site that residents can fill out to assist in documenting the effects of the drought as well. This form is located at www.mvc.on.ca/lowwatersurvey.
