Low water levels worsening along Carp River watershed, conservation authority says

The Carp River in June 2024. (CTV News Ottawa)

The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) is warning of a potentially serious problem with water levels on the Carp River amid dry conditions this summer.

Last week, the MVCA issued a “Level 1 – Low” status for the Carp River watershed and said residents who are not on the City of Ottawa’s municipal distribution network should reduce their water consumption by 10 per cent.

On Wednesday, the status of the Carp River watershed was changed to “Level 2 – Moderate.”

“Flows in the Carp River are significantly below normal, with reports of some tributaries running dry. Precipitation over the past three months has also been substantially below normal values for this time of year,” the MVCA said in a news release. “A significant rainfall over a large portion of the watershed will be required to return the watershed to normal conditions.”

Residents who are not on the City of Ottawa’s municipal distribution network are now being asked to reduce their water consumption by 20 per cent to help mitigate the effects of the lower water levels.

“Those who have permits for taking water from surface or groundwater sources are asked to reduce their actual taking as much as possible. Residents are also urged to use water conservatively by using rain barrels to water lawns and gardens and avoid using pressure washers to clean houses, driveways, decks and fences,” the conservation authority says.

Wednesday marks the 10th straight day with no rain in Ottawa. According to Environment Canada’s website, a trace of rain was recorded on July 27. The last significant rainfall was July 24, when 8.4 mm of rain was recorded.

The monthly rainfall total for July was well below the seasonal average, and lower than usual rainfall was also observed in May and June.

“The seven-day forecast is predicting negligible amounts of rain with daytime highs ranging between 27 C and 34 C across the watershed, further exacerbating the already dry conditions in the Carp River Watershed,” the MVCA says.

An open-air fire ban for the City of Ottawa was also issued Wednesday because of the dry conditions.

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