WATERSHED UPDATE – MAY 4, 2020
- Generally, snow depth and water content conditions for this time of the year are above normal. Water content variances are ~160% to ~368% above normal through the entire Upper Mattagami Watershed.
- A general freeze-thaw cycle is expected where overnight temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing over the next 7 days. Daytime temperatures are expected to range from 0°C to +9°C over the next 7 days.
- Winter drawdown of Mesomikenda, Mattagami Lake, Wawaitin and Peter Long have been completed, and where possible, these reservoirs have been drawn lower than normal in preparation for the snowmelt. As a result of the recent rain and snowmelt conditions, inflows are higher than normal for this time of year and storage reservoirs are being managed in consultation with the Flood Advisory Committee in an attempt to “peak shave” and mitigate high water concerns in the City of Timmins.
- Town Creek, Crawford Creek and other area watercourses are flowing well. All watercourses will continue to be closely watched by Authority and Municipal staff. Stream flows and water levels continue to be monitored on a daily basis.
- The Timmins Flood Advisory Committee has been meeting regularly to review current conditions. Currently, there is Flood Warning messaging for the Mattagami River. This Flood Warning will remain in effect until May 8, 2020 and then re-evaluated based on current conditions.
- OPG River System Data / Water Levels and Flow – www.opg.com/river
The next update will be issued on or about May 15, 2020.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Conservation Authority at 360-2660 or via email at [email protected].
See our Upper Mattagami River Watershed Statistics page to download the current watershed statistics and for the full list of reports for 2020.
The information contained in this update has been gathered by Ontario Power Generation, the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry and the Mattagami Region Conservation Authority. The summary highlights dam operations and storages as well as snow depth and water content in comparison to historical norms. Watershed surveys will be conducted on the 1st and 15th of each month until the snow cover has disappeared. Updates will be issued until such time any flood threat has passed.