With spring just around the corner, the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA)’s is reminding property owners in its watershed jurisdiction in Cornwall and the surrounding area of SDG to prepare for the upcoming spring thaw.
“Checking eavestroughs for blockages, and making sure downspouts extend away from homes and buildings can help prevent basement flooding,” says RRCA Resource Specialist, Halya Petzold. “Removing items from sheds, garages, basements, or lower floors that could be subject to flooding, and making sure your sump pump is in good working order are also helpful routine preventative measures.”
Caution should generally also be exercised near waterbodies in the spring due to potential increases in water flows. Parents should inform their children of the risks and provide appropriate supervision.
As part of its Flood Forecasting and Warning program, the RRCA monitors water levels, and weather forecasts throughout the year and maintains a four-tiered flood status indicator for the region. The RRCA notifies its partner municipalities whenever water levels are expected to rise beyond a normal level. During the winter months, the RRCA also conducts bi-monthly snow surveys at sampling stations in Newington and Apple Hill.
“Regular snow surveys provide us with valuable data about snow water equivalent, which is the amount of water held within the snowpack,” says Petzold. “Anyone who’s ever shoveled a driveway knows that the density – or water equivalent – of snow will vary regardless of how many centimetres of it are on the ground.”
Residents curious to view the RRCA’s snow monitoring results can go to rrca.on.ca to see a graph updated after each survey.
For more information on the Flood Forecasting and Warning program, visit rrca.on.ca, or contact (613) 938-3611 or [email protected].
