North Bay - Mattawa Conservation Authority
News Release
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Watercourses in the North Bay-Mattawa area remain high as the spring melt continues, therefore the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority’s Flood Watch remains in place for major watercourses, including the La Vase River, Duchesnay Creek, Wasi River and waterways in the Mattawa River System.
“Yesterday we were out to measure the snow pack and while there are patches of snow in some shaded areas, all three snow survey stations are now clear of snow. The ground remains saturated though, and in some locations still frozen,” said Susan Brownlee, NBMCA’s Regulations Officer.
The above-zero daytime temperatures and minimal precipitation forecasted for this weekend will help to dry out the ground and reduce flows in area watercourses that have been flowing from the spring melt.
Municipalities, emergency services and individual landowners in flood-prone areas should continue to monitor conditions and be prepared. This message will expire on Monday, April 28, 2014, and an update will be issued if required.
All residents, especially those in low lying areas, are encouraged to monitor the conditions that are developing. The NBMCA continues to advise that area watercourses are cold and fast flowing. Any creeks or lakes that may still have ice cover are considered unstable. These areas should be avoided. Parents are encouraged to keep their children and pets away from watercourses and off water bodies that have unstable ice conditions.
Municipalities are encouraged to monitor water crossings to ensure the continual movement of water through culverts and bridges. A close watch on local conditions and updated forecasts and warnings from Environment Canada is also recommended.
Monitoring weather and flood conditions is a shared responsibility of NBMCA, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), and Environment Canada. When flooding is possible or about to occur, NBMCA issues flood messages to municipal emergency management officials and the media. The municipal officials then take action to warn local residents.
Flood forecast messages enable the municipalities to prepare for, track and manage local flooding. Advance warning by NBMCA provides municipalities with the opportunity to put emergency plans into operation, evacuate communities if necessary, and secure property in areas that are more likely to flood.
NBMCA advises the general public through the www.nbmca.on.ca website with the flood status icon and a link to information about current conditions. NBMCA also issues these messages to the public through local media, twitter @the NBMCA and on facebook.com/NBMCA. The public is invited to submit photos of any watershed conditions to twitter @theNBMCA or email [email protected].
A close watch on local conditions and weather forecasts from Environment Canada is also recommended. Environment Canada bulletins can be found at http://weather.gc.ca/ Other information is available on the Surface Water Monitoring Centre public webpage: www.ontario.ca/flooding .
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