As spring gets underway, Quinte Conservation says that while water levels are higher than normal for this time of year in the area with the exception of Prince Edward County, they don’t anticipate any flooding at this time.
Water Resources Manager Christine Phillibert explained the reasoning for the higher water levels.
“The reason why they’re higher than normal is because we typically haven’t melted out all of our snow in early to mid-March,” Phillibert explained.
“That typical peak on our river systems that occurs, it typically occurs in the second week of April so it’s very early to be getting that melting snow and rain water contributing to the rivers this early in the season.”
Despite this increase in water levels, Phillibert says the watershed doesn’t expect to see flooding at this time.
“There’s not enough water stored in the watershed. Most of the snow has melted even in the far north to contribute and it does take quite a bit of water to produce flooding in our area,” Phillibert said.
“So at this point in time, given that there’s no snow on the ground that most of the ground is unfrozen, there’s a low risk of flooding. But we will still wait and see what the next month or so brings in terms of snowfall and rain.”
When it comes to water wells, Phillibert says Quinte Conservation will be keeping an eye on groundwater levels this spring and summer due to the runoff occurring early in the spring.
“There is potential for lower groundwater levels going into the summer season. We will really rely on spring rains to replenish the groundwater supply. So certainly if you’re on a well, you might want to check your well water levels and hope for some rain,” Phillibert tells Quinte News.
More about Quinte Conservation can be found at their website.
