As wet weather rolls into the London region, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is keeping an eye on water levels.
“We are looking at potentially 30 to 45 millimetres of rain,” UTRCA spokesperson Eleanor Heagy said Thursday. “Depending on how much rain we do get, that’s going to take a little while before it gets into the rivers.”
According to Heagy, the UTRCA does not anticipate serious flooding at this time.
“Our hydrology staff will be monitoring flows throughout the river,” Heagy said. “We have several precipitation monitoring stations and we can keep track of what is happening at different spots in the watershed.”
The UTRCA will monitor the conditions into next week, and flood control reservoirs at Fanshawe, Wildwood and Pittock conservation areas will be operated to reduce downstream flows if necessary, Heagy said.
“We’ll make sure we have enough space to store any water that would otherwise cause trouble downstream,” Heagy said.
The UTRCA is reminding residents to keep an eye on pets and children around rivers, streams, and ponds as cold and fast-moving water can make surfaces slippery and dangerous.