Snow survey readings for January released

North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority
News Release

******************

Water content within the snowpack varies throughout the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority watershed for this time of year. It’s too early in the season to make any predictions regarding the impact on any spring water levels.

The NBMCA will continue with its bi-weekly monitoring of the snow pack throughout the winter and into spring of 2011. Snow is measured for depth and water equivalence at three locations in the watershed. Data for the season can be found on the NBMCA website at www.nbmca.on.ca.

Former Northeast Mental Health Centre Site (Hwy 11N)
(Chippewa Creek Subwatershed)

Current Average Snow Depth for January 3, 2011
7.3 cm (46% of normal)

Current Average Water Equivalence for January 3, 2011
2.4 cm (49% of normal)

Average Snow Depth for January 3, 2010
36.9 cm

Highest recorded snow depth for January 3 since 1988
42.2 cm in 2008

Lowest recorded snow depth for January 3 since 1988
0 cm (2006)

Corbeil Conservation Area (Hwy 94)
(LaVase River Subwatershed)

Current Average Snow Depth for January 3, 2011
19.7 cm (70% of normal)

Current Average Water Equivalence for January 3, 2011
4.8 cm (123% of normal)

Average Snow Depth for January 3, 2010
46.2 cm

Highest recorded snow depth for January 3 since 1987
48.0 cm in 1996

Lowest recorded snow depth for January 3 since 1987
0 cm (2006)

Shirley Skinner Conservation Area (Chisholm Twp)
(Wasi River Subwatershed)

The Shirley Skinner Conservation Area was added as an NBMCA snow monitoring station in 2007 in order to better understand the Wasi watershed and better represent the entire NBMCA jurisdiction. As the NBMCA has less than five years worth of data at this location, no comparisons can be calculated at this time.

Current Average Snow Depth for January 3, 2011
23.2 cm

Current Average Water Equivalence for January 3, 2011
5.3 cm

Average Snow Depth for January 3, 2010
42.7 cm

The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) was founded in 1972 by the Province of Ontario and the NBMCA’s 10 member municipalities. A non-profit organization, the NBMCA works closely with the public to ensure the environmental health of the region’s watershed. The NBMCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities who are members of Conservation Ontario.

******************