Gravenhurst Council Receives Update Regarding Issues Impacting Muskoka Watershed
Gravenhurst Council was informed about was informed about issues impacting the Muskoka watershed, in the May 14, 2024, meeting.
Manager of Watershed Programs, Glenn Cunnington, advised Council that the Muskoka River watershed has had four 100-year storms (in 2008, 2013, 2016, 2019) which has had an impact.
He said, “It shouldn’t be happening that often, therefore, there’s more rain and flooding.”
He indicated that in 2020 the Watershed Advisory Group was formed, and the District’s Integrated Watershed Management program has been used to monitor conditions, which is available in reports on their website.
Cunnington indicated that the focus is on flooding, natural features, policy, and monitoring the system, and action plans.
For instance, they monitor scenarios for conditions that are triggering floods, said Cunnington. He added that storms can be an issue when there is a lot of snow, then warm days, then rain. “The snow melts quickly and the water has nowhere to go because the ground is frozen and can’t absorb the water,” he said.
Climate change also has an impact with low water. For instance, spring-like conditions in February impacts water levels and floods.
The District is expanding their flood plain mapping, with three quarters of the watershed being mapped, which is available for viewing on the GeoHub.
Next steps include providing updates and furthering discussions with the province and creating paths for moving forward.
Updates to management plans and the development stage, including estimated costs to public and private properties due to high water levels and floods. “Costs with floods [would be] over $900 million if all of the watershed floods”, advised Cunnington.
They are also looking at ways to change damns by increasing their size or making them different. For instance, they are considering ideas such as raising the heights to allow more water through or creating temporary berms.
Other steps will include adding mapping into the planning policy and monitoring programs, said Cunnington.
The District will also have an e-rode app called Muskoka E-Rode for the public to take photos of erosion and report it, in support of needed shoreline restoration work.
They will also be implementing short and long-term efforts and updates in areas such as the flood plane mapping policy, lake system health, and Municipal Official Plan, along with continuing to work with the Muskoka Watershed Council.