Low Water Conditions continue in Upper Thames River Watershed (media release, August 31, 2022)

The Upper Thames River watershed continues to experience Level 1 Low Water conditions, according to the local Low Water Response Team (LWRT). The advisory is part of a three-tiered system used in Ontario to inform the public of local low water conditions.

“We evaluate low water conditions by looking at several indicators, including precipitation and stream flows,” said Mark Helsten, Senior Water Resources Engineer with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA).

The LWRT declared a Level 1 Low Water Condition in mid-July in response to very dry weather in the later spring and early summer. The watershed has seen more rain in the weeks since then, but precipitation over the past three months (May 28-August 26) was still only 77% of normal, prompting the continuation of the Level 1 Low Water advisory.

Stream flows in most locations were relatively normal for this time of year.

The UTRCA maintains three large reservoirs and several smaller ones across the watershed. The large reservoirs at Pittock (Woodstock) and Wildwood (St. Marys) Conservation Areas provide flow augmentation in the summer, by storing spring runoff and then slowly releasing the water back into the river system in the dry summer months.

This spring, the two reservoirs both reached their target summer elevations. The water levels in the reservoirs are now slowly decreasing as the stored water is gradually released to augment downstream flows in the North and South Thames Rivers.

The Low Water Response Team encourages people, businesses, and industries that rely on local surface water or groundwater to conserve water. Many watershed municipalities have water conservation programs in place.

The City of London and some other communities take water from Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Reducing water use in these communities will not improve flows in the Thames River or its tributaries.

For more information:

Upper Thames River Low Water Response Team

Contact: Eleanor Heagy, Coordinator, Communications and Marketing