Some low-lying parts of the Grand River watershed have already seen some flooding this spring – but according to the Grand River Conservation Authority, the worst is yet to come
GRCA spokesperson Dave Schultz says rain forecast for the weekend and early next week will combine with melting snow to raise water levels significantly.
That might sound strange to anyone who lives in Waterloo Region, where nearly all of winter’s snow has withered away – but to the north, it’s a different story.
“In the central and southern parts of the watershed, most of the snow and all of the ice is gone from the river system, which is great, but in the northern part of the watershed – say from Fergus up to about Dundalk – we’re still talking about a considerable amount of snow on the ground,” GRCA spokesperson Dave Schultz tells CTV News.
At the Shand Dam at Belwood Lake, for example, the snow on the ground measures three times the amount the GRCA’s reservoir can hold.
Combine that with the potential for significant rainfall, Schultz says, and the GRCA will have to increase its discharge from the Shand Dam – resulting in higher levels all the way downstream.
“It could spill the banks in some communities, and we could see some flooding in some low-lying areas,” Schultz says.
“We’re not out of the woods yet.”
For Joyce Bridge, who has lived near the dam for more than 60 years, it’s a reminder of difficult springs past.
“I’ve seen it worse, but not for a long time,” she says.
A flood watch remains in effect for much of the watershed, including Grand Valley, Waldemar, St. Jacobs, New Hamburg, Ayr, Cambridge, Brant County, Six Nations and Haldimand County.
Low-lying roads have been closed in some of those areas.
