For immediate release
August 28, 2025
Upper Thames River watershed in Low Water Situation
The summer鈥檚 hot, dry weather has led the Low Water Response Team for the Upper Thames River watershed to declare Level 1 Low Water advisory. The advisory is part of a three-tiered system used in Ontario to inform the public of local low water conditions.
鈥淧recipitation and stream flows are the key indicators we use to evaluate low water conditions,鈥� said Mark Helsten, Senior Water Resources Engineer with the 糖心直播 (UTRCA).
The watershed received an average of 62 mm of rain between July 22 and August 21, which is about 78% of normal. Rainfall over the last three months (May 23 鈥� August 21) was approximately 73% of normal.
Flows in most streams across the watershed are at the low end of normal. The UTRCA鈥檚 reservoirs at Wildwood (St. Marys) and Pittock (Woodstock) Conservation Areas聽are currently augmenting downstream flows in the North and South Thames Rivers, respectively. Water is stored in these two reservoirs during the spring runoff, and then slowly released back into the river system in the dry summer months.
Low water conditions can have an impact on the amount of water available both for human use and for aquatic habitat.
Extended periods of below normal precipitation can also affect groundwater, which is an essential source of drinking water for many municipalities and residents. Groundwater plays a vital role in sustaining the baseflow of rivers and streams, too. Declining groundwater levels can reduce the natural discharge of groundwater to surface water, placing added stress on both human needs and aquatic life.
Long-term monitoring by the UTRCA since 2001 has shown a decreasing trend in groundwater levels at many Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network wells. These findings highlight the importance of proactive groundwater conservation to protect both groundwater and surface water resources for future use.
The Low Water Response Team encourages people, businesses, and industries that rely on local surface water or groundwater to conserve water. Many watershed municipalities have water conservation programs in place.
The City of London and some other communities take water from Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Reducing water use in these communities will not improve flows in the Thames River or its tributaries.
For more information:
颁辞苍迟补肠迟:听Eleanor Heagy, Communications and Marketing Coordinator