[All] Grand River Flood and great article from former ECO Gord Miller

[Lanteigne]

Hi folks
The entire Grand River Watershed is under flood watch. Normal monthly rainfall is 30mm for February but in the last 24 hours we've already surpassed that. We are currently at 37.8 as of 5:15pm.
Notices were hand delivered to residents in North Dumfries. New Hamburg and Nith River residents under flood alerts. Warnings and flooding taking place all over the place right now. Ground is saturated with melt and ice jams are located in multiple areas along the Grand still. They've got ice breakers at the mouth of the Grand in Lake Erie to help the flow.
Flood alerts, flood jams and localized flood info can be found in the most recent GRCA flood announcement here. This is in effect until Wednesday. https://www.grandriver.ca/Modules/News/index.aspx?feedId=8bfd23ca-a370-4d18-8c54-756c42dc2ef5,904ab3f7-8a88-4c4d-bd80-2623495a803c,dcd825b1-4283-4cf8-9c65-a1f409f5b279,c938d174-d44c-41b2-9a5d-396a3778734d,a17f3e27-d1c5-4eb2-bbf5-13169aac6e73,274b1f35-23ed-4dcc-b505-550811ea01b0&newsId=aae1e459-5e71-4de7-941e-8643a8b185f8
In the meantime former Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller warns Ontario isn't ready for flooding. We not only have to expect floods we also have to expect the failure of vital infrastructure that was created with 100 year flood constraints. Now that climate change has come we have no predictability any more and we have to plan towards the future water volumes not the past. Full TVO written coverage here: 
https://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/climate-watch/there-will-be-floods--and-ontarios-not-ready-for-them
The Waterloo Moraine has been absorbing rainfall for over 15,000 years. Our recharge areas are vital to protect to allow for natural infiltration but if we dig them up for gravel or pave them over, we can't expect storm water management ponds to replace the recharge capacity or function.
Globally speaking the UN has announced that 2/3rd of the global wetlands are gone since 1900. Locally we must do better than this. We need our forests and wetlands protected to protect people for the long term. Areas like Hidden Valley and Forested Hills are natural aqueducts. To destroy these things is an investment in very expensive floods at the cost of erosion and local water budget losses. 
Save don't pave!  
Lulu 
 
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