The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority advises that the Flood Watch issued over the weekend has been downgraded to a Water Safety Statement. Our watershed received a significant amount of rainfall between Friday and Sunday, ranging from around 50 millimeters to over 80 millimeters in some areas, which is more rain than we received in the month of April and May combined. Recent drought conditions allowed for our wetlands and rivers to have a greater holding capacity for all this rainfall, and fortunately there were no reports of flooding over the weekend.
That being said, elevated water levels and increased flows continue to be a concern in our rivers, and an additional 10 to 20 millimeters of rain is expected to fall between tomorrow and Wednesday, with a possibility of thunderstorms. Recreational river users should take extra precautions, as higher water levels and faster flows are expected to continue into the end of the week.
This Water Safety Statement will be in effect through Thursday July 1, 2021, or until further notice. The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority will continue to monitor stream conditions and will provide updates as required.