Record Low June Water Levels Facing Some Reservoirs
Many reservoirs are facing record low water levels for late June and the drawdown is continuing. To view the current 2-week forecast – click here
Nine of the 35 reservoirs are scheduled to drop by more than 20 cms in the next two weeks unless conditions change with significant rainfall events across the basin. The lack of major rainfall events over large areas of the Trent River Basin over several months, and high rates of evaporation from large lakes have resulted in the early significant drawdown of the reservoirs. The rate of drawdown is guided by the equal % of full policy which means that those lakes which filled or were closer to full in spring are seeing the largest drawdowns at this stage.
The TSW Water Management Team continues to actively manage all dams and stands ready to react to rainfall events. Water conservation measures with minimum flows are continuing in the Kawartha Lakes and downstream on the Otonabee River through Peterborough. We need significant prolonged rainfall events over the entire Trent Basin to begin to make up for the water deficit resulting from the limited snowmelt runoff and the very dry spring to date.
Our lake is already at minimum lake levels with a 20cm drawdown anticipated this period. As I write this, very heavy rains are forecast for the haliburton area. Do you ever put a log back at this time of year to catch the rainfall and hopefully raise the water levels.
Thanks for all that you do and maintaining this website .
TSW water management team stand ready to respond to major rainfall by replacing logs. They did do several times last summer when levels were below normal. The decision will depend on the amount and distribution of the rainfall.
Thanks very much for such a quick response.