SOUTH HURON – Residents in the watershed of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority are being asked to voluntarily reduce water use 20 per cent during this dry weather.
The ABCA’s Water Response Team has issued a Level 2 Low Water Advisory for the entire watershed, which increased its previous request to reduce water consumption by 10 per cent.
Mike Tam, who is WRT chair, reminds water users that it is now even more important to continue to increase water conservation efforts.
He said The Level 2 Low Water Advisory condition is necessary because this part of Ontario is facing the driest conditions in more than a decade and the local rainfall and stream flow data is confirming the seriousness of the situation.
Rainfall amounts across the watershed were below normal for the month of July and generally ranged between 45 and 65 mm (about 2 – 2.5 inches). The exception to this was the area between Bayfield and Clinton where the rainfall total for July at the Varna station was 127.8 mm (5 inches). Localized thunderstorms resulted in 83 mm of rainfall over a period of three hours on July 4, 2012 at the Varna stream gauge.
Stream flows throughout the watershed for July were below the Low Water Level 2 indicator of 50 per cent of the lowest average summer monthly flow. The lowest flows were observed in the Lower Ausable River subwatershed where the Springbank stream gauge measured only 26 per cent of the target flow for the month. Flows during the last half of July at all indicator stations were indicative of worsening conditions.
As well, the WRT is hosting an upcoming meeting for all those who have permits to take groundwater and surface water in the Hay Swamp Low Water Management Area to establish an Irrigation Advisory Committee.
“The intent of the Irrigation Advisory Committee is to have water users develop their own solutions to share water resources during these extremely dry conditions,” said Davin Heinbuck, who is an ABCA lands and water technologist.
“The Province of Ontario, in conjunction with the Water Response Team, would require mandatory water use restrictions if a Level 3 Low Water Advisory is declared – an Irrigation Advisory Committee could help co-operatively develop water conservation and water sharing strategies now, before a Level 3 Advisory is needed,” he said.
The WRT was formed in 2001 in response to the low water conditions that year and the team has been active ever since. The WRT includes representatives of major water users such as aggregate industries, agriculture and vegetable growers, and golf and recreation. It includes local municipal representatives and staff of provincial departments such as the ministries of: natural resources; agriculture, food and rural affairs; and environment.
ABCA staff will continue to monitor rainfall and stream flow data and keep the public informed of any changes in watershed conditions. For further resources on the Ontario low water response program visit online or ABCA website and view the low-water advisory tool that alerts people to low-water advisories in effect in the watershed.
