Low Water Advisory - November 8, 2024

Level 1 Low Water Advisory now in place for entire Ausable Bayfield watershed

November 8, 2024 – The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) Water Response Team (WRT) has updated a Level 1 Low Water Advisory to include the entire Ausable Bayfield watershed. The team had declared a Level 1 Low Water Advisory for the Bayfield River watershed in October. The WRT extended the advisory, to a larger area, on November 8. Nearly three successive months of dry weather has resulted in decreased groundwater levels in shallow aquifers, significant reduction of base flows in watercourses, and, in some cases, complete loss of base flows. This prompted the WRT to expand the advisory to the whole watershed.
The WRT depends on Ontario Low Water Response (OLWR) indicators to make its decisions. Rainfall and streamflow have fallen below the indicators, with rainfall at an average of only 50 per cent of normal in each of the last few months. The indicator for a Level 1 is 80 per cent of normal for the indicator period. This can be a combination of one-month and three-month totals. As of early November, stream flows are only at 10-20 per cent of normal.
“This three-month stretch of dry weather is having an impact watershed-wide, to the point where many smaller creeks and streams have stopped flowing completely,” said Christie Brown, ABCA Water Resources Technician. To see an improvement, she said, the team has to look at water supply over the long term. “To get us back to seasonal normal, it’s going to require wetter than normal conditions in the weeks or months ahead,” she said.
Water Response Team Chair Marissa Vaughan said everyone has a role to play in water conservation and it begins with awareness. “During a Level 1 Low Water Advisory condition, we encourage all water users to proactively conserve water by voluntarily reducing their water use by 10 per cent,” she said. For ways to reduce your water use, visit the water quantity and water conservation page at abca.ca at this link: https://www.abca.ca/conservationstrategy/water/quantity/ 
The Water Response Team relies on precipitation and streamflow indicators when making a decision to move into a Low Water Advisory. Indicators include one-month streamflow and one-month or three-month precipitation. A Level 1 advisory includes a request for a 10 per cent voluntary reduction in water use. A Level 2 advisory calls for an additional 10 per cent (total of 20 per cent) voluntary reduction. A Level 3 Low Water Advisory may involve mandatory water use restrictions.
The Water Response Team was formed in 2001 in response to the low water and drought conditions that year. The team has been active since then. The WRT includes representatives of major water users (such as aggregate industries; agriculture and vegetable growers; and golf and recreation) and includes local municipal representatives and staff of provincial ministries (such as Natural Resources; Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness; and Environment, Conservation and Parks). ABCA staff will continue to monitor rainfall and streamflow data and keep the public informed of any changes in watershed conditions.
Visit www.ontario.ca/lowwater for more on Ontario Low Water Response or the website at www.abca.ca for the low-water advisory tool which alerts people to low-water advisories in effect in the watershed..

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CONTACT: Christie Brown, Water Resources Technician, at Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA), e-mail cbrown@abca.ca or phone 519-235-2610 or 1-888-286-2610, extension 239.