CCCA, KCCA, with coming thaw and rain, issue flood advisory

Kettle Creek Conservation Authority and Catfish Creek Conservation Authority on Tuesday, Feb. 15, citing a pending thaw and rain, issued advisories reminding residents to take extra caution near creeks and streams due to the potential for flooding conditions as temperatures rise over the next couple of days.

Parents and guardians are urged to keep children away from ponds and reservoirs. Ice conditions on frozen water bodies are unpredictable and unsafe at this time of year.

Environment Canada is tracking a large trough of low pressure that is expected to move into the area on Wednesday, February 16, bringing warmer temperatures and significant amounts of mixed precipitation.  Total accumulation may be in the range of 25-35mm.

At this time the track of the low-pressure system is uncertain, and as such precipitation type, timing and amounts may change.  The existing snowpack water equivalency is estimated to be between 44-116 mm.

KCCA Water Conservation Supervisor Jennifer Dow said, “The extensive snow covering the watershed can absorb some of the forecast precipitation, however frozen ground conditions and melt of accumulated snow could contribute to increased runoff, further increasing water levels in local creeks and streams.”

Field observations taken along Kettle Creek down to Port Stanley indicate areas of open water around faster flowing bridges and culverts, with areas of thick ice cover in slower moving segments of the creek.  In Port Stanley, there is approximately 8-12 inches of ice cover between Southwold Wall and Lake Erie.  Despite small pockets of open water, the potential for ice jam related flooding still exists.

She warned that fast moving water and breaking ice can be an attraction to the public, but they should stay away. Banks are extremely slippery, and the water is very cold.

CCCA Water Management Technician Peter Dragunas said that while stream and creek water levels were low now, the ground was frozen in some areas and had limited capacity to absorb rainfall or melting snow, which could lead to increased runoff.