Submitted by the TSW

The Superintendent of the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site of Canada advises that there are low water conditions across most of the lakes within the Trent-Severn watersheds.

Residents should be aware that dam operations undertaken this week and planned for next week could contribute to low water levels in the Haliburton reservoir lakes.

This summer’s hot and dry weather conditions have resulted in evaporation rates across the Trent-Severn watersheds that are much higher than normal. As a result, the drawdown of the Haliburton reservoir lakes began earlier this summer and with greater demand than normal to meet the varied needs for water across the Trent-Severn Waterway.

The current conditions very closely resemble those during the summer of 1998. At present, Environment Canada is forecasting above normal temperatures for the remainder of the summer which will continue the rapid evaporation.

As of Aug. 16, most Conservation Authorities across southern Ontario reported either Level I or Level II low water condition, reflecting low stream flows and less than normal precipitation. This is reflected across Eastern Ontario as well, with the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board is also reporting near historic low levels for this time of year.

Parks Canada manages water on a system-wide basis to meet a broad range of needs for water including recreation, municipal water supply, flood mitigation and fisheries management. On a daily basis, water control staff monitors precipitation, water levels and flow rates, and uses this information to make decisions on dam adjustments. To communicate more effectively with the public, Parks Canada has implemented a water management website at www.parkscanada.ca/trent that provides ongoing updated data for all stakeholders.