Upper Thames River Conservation Authority has declared a Level 1 Low Water advisory due to hot and dry weather over the course of the summer.
The conservation authority said on Thursday that the advisory is part of a three-tiered system in Ontario that informs the public of local low water conditions.
Mark Helsten, Senior Water Resources Engineer, UTRCA, said in a media release that precipitation and stream flows are key indicators used to evaluate low water conditions.
The watershed received an average of 62 mm of rain between July 22 and Aug. 21, which is about 78 per cent of normal. Rainfall from May 23 to Aug. 21 was 73 per cent of the normal amount.
Flows in most streams across the watershed are at the low end of normal.
UTRCA’s reservoir at Wildwood Conservation Area in St. Marys is currently augmenting downstream flows in the North and South Thames Rivers, respectively.
Water is stored in these two reservoirs during the spring runoff, and then slowly released back into the river system in the dry summer months.
Low water conditions can have an impact on the amount of water available both for human use and for aquatic habitat.
Extended periods of below normal precipitation can also affect groundwater, which is an essential source of drinking water for many municipalities and residents.
Declining groundwater levels can reduce the natural discharge of groundwater to surface water, placing added stress on both human needs and aquatic life.
The conservation authority’s Low Water Response Team encourages people, businesses, and industries that rely on local surface water or groundwater to conserve water.
