Clinton News Record, 2016-07-20, Page 1414 News Record • Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Water Response Team issues Level 1 Low Water Advisory for entire Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) watershed area
Prolonged dry weather has significantly reduced streamflow
Late -spring rainfall totals
across the entire Ausable
Bayfield Conservation
Authority (ABCA) watershed
area have been below nor-
mal, resulting in extremely
dry conditions and stressed
flows in local streams and
rivers. This has prompted the
ABCA Water Response Team
(WRT) to issue a Level 1 Low
Water Advisory.
The WRT relies on both
precipitation and stream -
flow indicators to support
any decision to move into a
Low Water Advisory. Based
on the three-month precip-
itation indicator for low
water advisories, indicator
stations show the entire
watershed is below the low-
water threshold of 80 per
cent of the normal three-
month precipitation.
The prolonged period of
below -normal precipitation
patterns has had an impact
on streamflow and water
availability, according to
Davin Heinbuck, Lands
and Water Technologist at
Ausable Bayfield Conserva-
tion Authority. With recent
rainfall, streamflow saw
some improvement but has
returned quickly back to
low levels.
"If a dry weather pattern
continues, a recovery of the
already stressed watershed
will become more difficult as
we move through the sum-
mer," he said. "Even if nor-
mal precipitation patterns
return, the watershed's abil-
ity to rebound has been
reduced." Plant and crop
cover, combined with tem-
perature increases through
the summer, means that less
rainfall will become availa-
ble to streamflow, according
to Heinbuck.
In some areas, water avail-
ability in streams is vitally
important to sustaining
crops through very dry peri-
ods, if the resource is availa-
ble. The focus should be on
sustaining water availability
through responsible man-
agement and conservation
of the water resource,
according to the Water
Response Team.
"Everyone has a role to
play in this," said Water
Response Team Chair Mike
Tam. He tells water users it is
extremely important to con-
tinue their water conserva-
tion efforts to prevent further
reduction in water levels and
availability through the sum-
mer. "Because we are in a
Level 1 Low Water Advisory
condition, we are encourag-
ing water users to voluntarily
reduce their water use by 10
per cent," he said.
If dry conditions persist
through July, it may be nec-
essary to for the WRT to con-
sider moving into a Level 2
Condition in August and
consider further water use
reductions and management
considerations.
The Water Response Team
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 aggre-
gate industries, agriculture
and vegetable growers, and
golf and recreation) and
includes local municipal
representatives and staff of
provincial ministries (such
as Natural Resources and
Forestry; Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs; and Minis-
try of the Environment and
Climate Change).
ABCA staff will continue
to monitor rainfall and
streamflow data and keep
the public informed of any
changes in watershed con-
ditions. Visit www.ontario.
ca/lowwater for further
resources on the Ontario
low water response pro-
gram or ABCA website at
abca.on.ca and view the
dynamic low-water advi-
sory tool which alerts peo-
ple to low-water advisories
in effect in the watershed.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
1
To
U I S�
DIIRECTOMTI
Mae e i
advertdse
Dm22. Ibli nstoi
Too
:TO NES'S
)1R Ma
?lime ca.
Dam Ibli nstoffi
5 9=482-343
dvorbise
i CKILL P
MUTUAL NSURANCL CiCirA AN5'
AUTO 1 HOME 1 FARM 1 COMMERCIAL
154 High Street, Clinton, ON
kim@mckillopmutual.com
Ph: 519-482-9976 I Fax: 519-482-9815
Cell: 519-525-9976
To advertise in this
B3 11 IEM
TllEIECCUOMW
Please call Da'Johnston
Sag -682,-26.2
2-26.2
www.mckillopmutuat. com
Our LLE I cross la hulit on SERVICE
ENERGY
I-1 F. MIN G • ki R CO NO ITI O FlkIN G - ELECTRIC/L
GAS FIREPLACES* AUTOMATIC GENERATORS
JEFF WISE
VitI:?
Do viola Rea d. Clinton * 610-482-70132
KIM PARKER 1 AGENT
Dave Bernard
fl
Bucket Truck Service
ree Trimming/Removal
• Stump Grinding
• Free Estimates
. 1998 CLINTON, ON
9-482-3976
IMF
To : dveirtnse k
U INESS
DllRECTOo If
PJC? call
Dam Ibilmotaxa
5:9-402-34 3'
'
Dewe A7zaraKeefit
CONCRETE FORMING
COMMERCIAL I. RESIDEjVI 14 !„
■ Numb.' iralllIsFltrirr F. L4hir
• CirculairTanks +Sandwich W"rr]L
FREI 9°`STIfl1ATES
�:<a, •, 1 d: 519-523-9971 rao. 523- �s, a