Kawartha Conservation Declares Level 2 Low Water Conditions

KAWARTHA LAKES-Kawartha Conservation has declared a Level 2 Low Water Condition across the watershed, urging residents, businesses, and municipalities to reduce water use by 20% to help protect local water supplies and aquatic ecosystems.

Drought conditions have intensified in recent weeks, with three-month precipitation totals now only 53% of the seasonal average. Although recent rainfall has provided some short-term relief, it has not been sufficient to restore groundwater levels. Water tables continue to decline, and rivers and streams remain at reduced flows across the region. Short-term forecasts indicate additional rainfall, but amounts are expected only to slow the progression of drought conditions rather than improve them.

This declaration affects the City of Kawartha Lakes, Township of Scugog, Township of Brock, Municipality of Trent Lakes, Township of Cavan Monaghan, and Municipality of Clarington.

Water Conservation Actions

Residents, businesses, and municipalities can help by:

Adhering to municipal/regional water restrictions and by-laws.
Avoiding non-essential water use, indoors and outdoors (e.g., turn off tap when not in use, short showers, reduce washing driveways, decks, vehicles).
Watering gardens in early morning or late evening; using rain barrels or storage where possible and allow lawns to go dormant (brown) until conditions improve.
Aim to reduce water use by 20%.

Kawartha Conservation participates in the Ontario Low Water Response Program, established to ensure a coordinated response to drought conditions across the province. The program requires Conservation Authorities to collect and analyze precipitation, stream flow, and groundwater level data. Based on this information, Low Water Conditions are evaluated and a Water Response Team is convened to review and recommend next steps.

There are three levels of Low Water Conditions under the program:

Level 1: Indication of potential water supply problems.
Level 2: Minor water supply issues confirmed; 20% reduction requested.
Level 3: Most severe, indicating significant water supply issues and potential restrictions.

Kawartha Conservation will continue to monitor conditions closely and provide updates as they become available. For more information about Ontario’s Low Water Response program, visit the Low Water and Drought section of Kawartha Conservation’s website at www.KawarthaConservation.com.

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