No ice jams or significant flooding events are expected along the Thames River in Chatham-Kent this week -- even with more rain and milder temperatures on the way.
Officials with the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) are keeping a close eye on the conditions and they are expecting water levels to rise on the river later this week as the temperature settles in above the freezing mark during the day, but the biggest hazards at this point appear to be slippery banks, broken or unstable ice, and fast moving cold water.
A release from the LTVCA said any ice cover that is left on the Thames River is unsafe, adding that as of Monday afternoon, the ice that had previously formed on the water had mostly disappeared in a stretch from Chatham-Kent's eastern boundary down to Kent Bridge.
Officials said the area of Lake St. Clair at the mouth of the Thames River is also open, adding that there "appears to be little risk currently of an ice jam forming, but conditions will need to be monitored as the week progresses."
An ice jam at that area of the river near Lighthouse Cove in February contributed to some significant flooding, but at this point, officials are not expecting a repeat of that event.
Water levels along the Thames River have already been dropping after peaking during the weekend's rainfall and could rise again in the coming days with more rain in the forecast, but they are not expected to rise into the flood flats over the next couple of days.