Snow has returned to the watershed! This winter has had much less snow than normal, but it is common for the snowpack to grow until early April, reports the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) who measures snow depth and water content as part of its Flood Forecasting and Warning Program.
“The combined average snow depth is 10.6 cm and water equivalence is 17.7 mm at the three snow course locations as of March 22, 2024”, said Angela Mills, NBMCA Water Resources Specialist.
NBMCA is now measuring the snowpack weekly, to monitor conditions leading up to and during the spring freshet. This is a supplementary survey; more data is required for comparison to historical conditions. The percent normal data will be calculated for the next snow survey which takes place April 2. A Snow Survey web page is available with more snow survey program information and this season's measurements. https://nbmca.ca/watershed-management/snow-survey/
Snow is measured for depth and water equivalence at three locations in the watershed.
North Bay Golf and Country Club (Chippewa Creek Watershed, North Bay)
*Data prior to Dec. 2011 collected at the former Northeast Mental Health Centre, Hwy 11
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Current Snow Depth for March 22, 2024 |
17.7 cm |
|
Water Equivalence for March 22, 2024 |
33.0 mm |
Corbeil Conservation Area (La Vase River Watershed, Corbeil)
|
Current Snow Depth for March 22, 2024 |
5.0 cm |
|
Current Water Equivalence for March 22, 2024 |
8.0 mm |
Shirley Skinner Conservation Area (Kaibuskong River Watershed, Chisholm)
|
Current Snow Depth for March 22, 2024 |
9.0 cm |
|
Current Water Equivalence for March 22, 2024 |
12.0 mm |
The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) was founded in 1972 by the Province of Ontario. NBMCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities in Ontario responsible for watershed management on behalf of local municipalities, stakeholders, and the province.
The public can follow NBMCA on the web at nbmca.ca, on X (Twitter) (@theNBMCA), Facebook (@theNBMCA) and Instagram (nbmcainfo).
For more information, contact:
Angela Mills, Water Resources Specialist (705) 497-4668
David Ellingwood, Director, Water Resources (705) 474-5420