Flood Forecasting
One of the responsibilities of Conservation Authorities across Ontario is developing and maintaining a Flood Forecasting and Warning System. The purpose of the system is to minimize flood damage and loss of life by providing municipalities and residents of the watershed with advanced warning of possible high water level conditions and flood events.
Little Britain flood, June 12 2002
In order to fulfil these responsibilities Kawartha Conservation takes the following actions:
Maintains a Flood Forecasting and Warning System
An effective flood forecasting system provides member municipalities and communities with an opportunity to take the necessary precautions and to have emergency response teams ready when they are needed.
Supports Coordinated Flood Emergency Planning
The initial responsibility for reacting to flood emergencies is at the municipal level. Each municipality has a flood emergency plan and Kawartha Conservation encourages such planning as well as coordinated planning between municipalities.
Provides Technical Advice
Kawartha Conservation advises its member municipalities on means of preventing and/or reducing the effects of flooding.
Coordinates Responses to Flooding
At all times liaison is maintained between Kawartha Conservation and the designated municipal and provincial flood response coordinators. This liaison may also involve declaring a provincial emergency and securing provincial resources in the event of a declared provincial emergency.
Snow course survey
In order to predict flooding situations Kawartha Conservation monitors water levels in rivers (Mariposa Brook, Burnt River, Gull River) and lakes (Balsam, Cameron, Pigeon, Scugog, Sturgeon) as well as weather forecasts on a daily basis. During flood events, monitoring occurs more often – every 4 to 6 hours. The critical level (water level when flooding starts) for each gauge station is known.
Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources provides us with additional information through their Surface Water Monitoring Centre that is assigned to monitor and predict water conditions across the province.
The information Kawartha Conservation uses to monitor changing watershed conditions come from a variety of sources. The main sources are:
- network of data loggers and Telemark stations
- snow course surveys
- stream flow discharge measurements
- weather forecasts
- Surface Water Monitoring Centre's messages
- field observations