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By Danna Zabrovsky , The Ottawa Citizen May 22, 2010
The immediate consequences of this spring’s low water levels range from good to mildly disappointing. There are fewer mosquitoes (good) but a kayaking competition was canceled (not so good).
But if Environment Canada predictions for hot weather and little rain in June prove accurate, Ottawans could face serious problems in coming months.
Ottawa Riverkeeper executive director Meredith Brown said Ottawa’s water is now at September levels and this could harm crops.
“It’s not just the main stem of the river that’s low, it’s all of the little feeder tributaries and creeks and streams that are low as well. Absolutely it’s going to affect the farmers if we don’t get much rain.”
Warmer than average temperatures and unseasonably low levels of precipitation in winter and spring have contributed to less water flowing into Ottawa’s rivers and streams, according to Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.
“Spring is the time when the snow pack is being released. It melts and goes into the local watersheds, replenishes reservoirs,” he said. “There hasn’t been much snow pack to melt.”
Despite lower water levels, the city has no plans to ask residents to limit their water use.
“There have been no water use restrictions imposed by the city in recent years,” a city official wrote in an e-mail. “We have seen other times where the water level would have been lower and production was not affected.”
The city also plans to terminate a low-flush toilet rebate program this summer because it has met its water conservation targets.
Patrick Larson, senior water resources technician with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, warns that if there’s little rain it could make boating and transport difficult. Fishing could also be affected, he said.
Mosquito populations are already down, said Canadian Museum of Nature entomologist Bob Anderson. There just haven’t been enough pools of water around for mosquito populations that breed in early spring.
The Level Six Capital Cup, an annual freestyle kayaking event off Bate Island, was canceled last month because there was not enough rushing water.
People can still kayak in Ottawa, but they’ll have to settle for calm waters.
“Traditional places where they’ve always gone in the past for big waves and big rivers, they are quite dry compared to the past,” said event organizer Tyler Lawlor.
The McGuinty government is making water conservation a priority with its proposed Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act, introduced in the legislature last Tuesday. They hope it will make Ontario a leader in water treatment and conservation.
The act would also help reduce Ontario’s residential water use by renewing water efficiency standards for household fixtures and making water bills more detailed.
“You’d have more information on trends, like this month’s water usage versus last month’s,” ministry spokeswoman Kate Jordan said. “You’d actually know how much you’re using, so you may be more likely to conserve water.”
The act may ease problems associated with low water levels by improving community infrastructure to help municipalities conserve water.
If passed, the act would encourage partnerships with internationally-recognised experts in water technology. New water technologies could create jobs and expand services industry in Ontario.
Brown says she is impressed with the government’s commitment to water conservation and treatment, which typically takes up between a quarter and half of a municipality’s energy costs.
“As we continue to dump waste in (our water), we need to start relying on technologies to give us clean water,” she said. “The more water you use, the more you have to treat. We could be doing a lot better.”
While the act will not be implemented any time soon, Brown said it offers long-term solutions.
“When that conservation ethic is spread far and wide in businesses and households, then everybody’s just better adapted to using less water.”
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