Wet Week in July

The Upper Thames River watershed has had an unusually wet July. On July 10, the remnants of Hurricane Beryl reached southwestern Ontario, dropping 40-90 mm of rain across the watershed. UTRCA staff operated the flood control dams at Fanshawe, Pittock, and Wildwood Conservation Areas to minimize downstream flooding by storing water in the reservoirs. At Fanshawe, the rising reservoir encroached on the campground. A few campers were moved to new sites and some unoccupied sites were closed for the weekend.

Harris Park, July 17, 2024

By July 15, when round two of the wet weather started, watercourses were returning to typical summer flows but the ground was still fairly saturated. That morning, the London area was hit with severe storm activity, with some City rain gauges measuring as much as 75 mm of rain in less than two hours. The intense rainfall overwhelmed urban drainage systems in many areas, leading to flooded streets and basements.

The severe weather continued the following day, triggering a heavy rainfall warning from Environment and Climate Change Canada. The storms were mostly in rural areas north and east of London, and the intense rainfall on saturated ground caused widespread flooding of agricultural fields and high runoff into streams and rivers.

UTRCA’s water management, conservation areas, and communications staff were kept busy, with round-the-clock monitoring of watershed conditions, frequent operations at the flood control structures, impacts at all three parks due to the high reservoir levels, and multiple flood bulletins going out to municipal flood coordinators and other partners.

By July 17, all three of the UTRCA’s flood storage reservoirs were filled to much higher levels than what is typical in the summer. Once again, campers were relocated at Fanshawe, the day-use and some overnight campsites were flooded at Pittock, and the boat docks at Wildwood were under water. While the dam operations greatly reduced flows downstream, there was minor downstream flooding in flood plain areas including Harris and Gibbons Parks in London. In Woodstock, Dundas Street was closed due to flooding, and part of the St. Marys Golf and Country Club was under water.

Discharges from the structures continued to be higher than normal for several days following the flood, as water management staff gradually brought the reservoirs back down to typical summer levels.

In total from July 10-17, the watershed received an average of 140 mm of rain, ranging from 76-197 mm. While a flood of this size would be pretty typical in the�� early spring, it is quite rare in mid-summer when parks located in floodplains are being used for recreational purposes. As well, in the spring, the Pittock and Wildwood reservoirs are at their low, winter level and have ample flood storage, whereas in July, they are at their higher, summer level with less storage capacity and the conservation areas are busy with campers and day-use visitors.

Contact:
Mark Helsten, P. Eng., Senior Water Resources Engineer

Wavyrayed Lampmussel Spotting!����

While monitoring fish this July, we noticed something interesting on the river bottom: a Wavyrayed Lampmussel attempting to lure a bass! Freshwater mussels have an intriguing lifecycle which includes a larval stage that parasitizes (i.e. infests or lives on) fish. The larval mussel must attach to the gills of a specific fish species to attain nutrition and to hitch a ride upstream. This is where the lure comes in: the adult female Wavyrayed Lampmussel has modified tissue that resembles a small fish. When its host fish, the Smallmouth Bass, gets close, the female mussel expels her larvae. A small number of larval mussels will then attach themselves to the gills of the fish, where they will feed until they develop into juveniles.�� ��

Wavyrayed Lampmussel attempting to lure a Smallmouth Bass in the north Thames River.

The Thames remains one of the most biologically diverse rivers in Canada, and the Upper Thames River watershed is home to��at least��80 species of fish,��28 freshwater mussel species��and many aquatic species at risk. UTRCA’s biologists monitor freshwater mussels along with other aquatic��bio-indicator species such as fish and��invertebrates��to understand watershed health and whether conditions��are improving, deteriorating or stable.

Contact:��Erin Carroll, UTRCA Aquatic Biologist

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Conservation Area Summer Events are Underway!��

Community Education staff have hosted three events at Fanshawe Conservation Area (CA) so far this summer! The season was kicked off with a Bug Safari event where participants got to explore the meadow for all kinds of cool critters! Following the theme of bugs, on July 4th an evening Firefly Walk was held that had participants in awe while they walked down the twinkling trail. As well, on July 11th staff led a highly anticipated Owl Prowl event, where participants learned all about local owls and practiced different calls. In total, there were over 160 people in attendance at these events! Upcoming events include Family Nature Play, Pond Exploration, and another Bug Safari event, don’t miss out!��

Owl Prowl at Fanshawe CA

Meanwhile, Wildwood Education staff have been busy hosting programs at Pittock and Wildwood. Wildwood CA hosted its first event of the season, welcoming 26 people for a Stream Safari in our Dr. Murray Forest. Children and adults got to explore the aquatic life of the stream and discover the names of the invertebrates that live in it!����

Pittock CA hosted the first firefly walk of the year for over 40 campers and visitors to the park and hosted a well-attended stream safari on July 18. Back at Wildwood there was a very successful owl prowl bringing in 42 visitors to the park with over half of them coming just for the event. We also hosted a collaborative event with St. Mary’s Public Library. We had 13 participants down to the flats where we explored the aquatic life that calls the shore of the Thames River home. July will wrap up with another firefly walk and a new program that we are excited about called forest bathing for adults. Lots of fun to be had!��

There are plenty more Summer Events at our Conservation Areas being planned. View them here:��

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Huron University College Scotiabank Scholars 2024��

����ֱ�� (UTRCA) Community Education staff partnered with Huron’s Scotiabank Scholars for a third year, offering an intensive high school English credit and breaking down barriers for students from across the watershed. This year, the theme was water.

On the first day of the course, students visited Fanshawe Conservation Area where they learned about the UTRCA’s core missions and challenges. The class enjoyed a tour of the Watershed Conservation Centre and Fanshawe Dam before participating in activities that combined conservation science with the art of communicating that knowledge to the public.

Fanshawe CA

The following day, UTRCA staff visited Huron College where they led students on a walk of the Medway Creek and met one-on-one with students to assist with topic choice and thesis development for their final projects. On the final day of the course, UTRCA staff returned to Huron to attend a ‘Pitch Fair’ where students showcased their research and working thesis.��

Medway Creek

Congratulations to all participating students on their hard work!��

Celebrating the Summer and Each Other at the Pittock Conservation Area Mid-season BBQ

On Monday, July 15, the staff at Pittock Conservation Area (PCA) were treated to a BBQ! Head chefs, Steven Musclow and Elijah Wilson, cooked up plenty of hamburgers and hot dogs. Side salads and summer watermelon were also on the table! ��

During the BBQ, the PCA staff were thanked for their hard work this summer. Without our incredible staff, operating a campground can be difficult. Their dedication and positive relationships with campers and one another have been amazing!

Three awards were also handed out during the BBQ. The first went to Shayla Kearley, one of our Customer Service Representatives, who received the highest mark on our Heat Stress Training program. Ben Smith, one of our Security staff, was awarded The Most Boat Patrols of Pittock Lake! Our last award was given to Colin Nicks, Operations and Maintenance, for most washroom repairs in a single weekend! ��

All fun aside, the main focus of the BBQ was to share with staff the importance of having a safe and fun work environment. Equipment training, staff procedures and a mid-season reminder to staff to be safe while performing their daily tasks all make for a fun and successful summer.��

To book a stay at PCA, please visit

Contact:��Steven Musclow, Superintendent

Water Wednesdays to Help Source Water Protection��

Conservation Ontario continues to support the public’s awareness of one of Ontario’s flagship programs, Drinking Water Source Protection (DWSP), by implementing a Water Wednesdays summer social media campaign. This campaign highlights��rivers, agricultural practices, and aims to build public knowledge of the program. It includes seven social media posts, shared weekly on Water Wednesdays! Follow along on our Source Protection Region’s and

Through these pages you’ll learn about where your drinking water comes from and how local municipal drinking water sources are protected. For example, drinking water protection zones are areas around municipal drinking water sources where extra protective measures help to reduce risk and keep municipal drinking water safe and clean. Drinking Water Source Protection Road Signs can be found along rural, urban municipal roads and highways! These signs mark where there is a protection zone, which is defined as a certain amount of area around a surface water intake or well head that require specific protective measures for natural water sources, such as groundwater, lakes, or rivers that provide municipal drinking water.

Everyone plays a role in helping to protect our sources of drinking water. By following this social media campaign, you can learn how you can help��keep our drinking water clean!��

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Thamesford Lions’ Retro Rides and Community Vibes��

On June 15th, ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) Partnerships and Education Staff participated in the Thamesford Lions’ Retro Rides and Community Vibes event, which was held in Lions South Park in Thamesford. This family-friendly event featured over 100 vintage and antique cars, live entertainment and games, and community partner booths and tents. The event attracted well over 500 attendees, many of whom stopped by the UTRCA tent to see the flood table simulator, learn about the Watershed Report Cards, and experience the “touch table” which includes, turtle shells, deer antlers, and an array of animal and insect specimens native to the Thames River watershed.��

Brightly Coloured Fishes��

Fish surveys revealed some attractive spawning fish in the Upper Thames River watershed this spring.�� Of note, a Striped Shiner caught in late May in Stoney Creek in London was one of the most brightly coloured specimens our crew had ever seen! In the Spring, these male Shiners dig nests into gravel. Males have bumps, called nuptial tubercles, on their noses used to construct nests of small stones. ��

Striped Shiner found in Stoney Creek, London, May 24, 2024

Rosyface Shiner is another fish caught in spawning colours.�� These fish spawn in late spring when water temperatures reach 20 to 29 degrees Celsius.��

Rosyface Shiner found in the middle Thames River near Putnam, May 23, 2024

The spawning male Northern Sunfish also displays beautiful colours and makes grunting noises during courtship, likely to attract females.������

Northern Sunfish from Flat Creek May 23, 2024

The UTRCA monitors fish along with other living and non-living attributes to understand watershed health and whether conditions are improving, deteriorating or remaining stable.������

Contact:��Erin Caroll, UTRCA Aquatic Biologist

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