Flood watch issued for Thames River in Chatham-Kent, Ont.
Flood-prone landowners, municipalities should prepare accordingly, says LTVCA
The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) says flooding is possible over the next several days.
A flood watch is in effect until Tuesday, March 11. Officials say municipalities, emergency services and landowners in flood-prone areas should prepare accordingly.
The conservation authority says water levels on smaller watercourses have peaked and were expected to begin falling Wednesday night, while some may still be blocked with ice and snow and take longer to drop back to normal water levels.
Recent warm temperatures and rainfall have melted almost all of the snow in the lower Thames River watershed, while also starting to melt the much deeper snow pack in the upper river, said the conservation authority in a statement.
Thames River rising
Water levels on the Thames River are also rising because of the rain and snow melt, according to the LTVCA, and are expected to peak in London on Thursday.
The amount of water leaving the upper Thames watershed would cause flooding of low-lying river flats adjacent to the river from Delaware down to Chatham, it said.
"Based on current forecasts, the LTVCA does not expect to have to operate the 6th Street Dam, and flooding in the city of Chatham is expected to be limited to the sidewalk along the river in the downtown, Simcoe Lane, and other low-lying areas adjacent to the river that tend to flood frequently," said Jason Wintermute with the conservation authority.
The ice on the lower Thames River has begun to break and move downstream, according to the conservation authority, and as of late Wednesday afternoon, the ice upstream of Thamesville had largely broken up and moved down river into the Kent Bridge area.
Wintermute said the river ice was still largely intact between Louisville and Communication Road. Through the city of Chatham, the ice had broken up and started to move downstream — without any major ice jams.
"However, as the ice moves downstream, even minor ice jams can cause sudden surges in water levels and raise water levels in the area," said Wintermute.
"Ice conditions and potential jam locations should be monitored through the weekend."
The public is asked to use extra caution and avoid the area near the river, ditches and streams.