Maitland Valley Conservation has placed all municipalities in the Maitland and Nine Mile River watersheds under a Watershed Conditions Statement on Water Safety.
The Authority warned a low-pressure system moving through the Great Lakes region Wednesday will bring between 15-20mm of rain to the Maitland and Nine Mile River watersheds.
Showers expected to begin Wednesday afternoon will continue overnight through Thursday. Temperatures are expected to remain mild overnight which will accelerate snowmelt and runoff to watercourses.
Maitland Conservation staff measured 30-70 mm of water content remaining in the snowpack as of Tuesday, March 21 and the ground is still saturated from last week’s rain and snowmelt.
That will lead to a steady rise in rivers and streams throughout the watershed. We could see higher water levels than we saw during thaws earlier this year. Significant flooding isn't expected, but watercourses will approach or slightly exceed bankfull conditions. There could be ponding and minor flooding in typical low-lying areas.
Smaller streams in headwater areas are forecasted to peak by Friday, with larger rivers following early next week.