GuelphToday.com did a flood watch of its own Friday morning, checking local areas of the Grand River watershed for high water. And the high water is everywhere in the system.
Both Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Grand River Conservation Authority issued weather/flood alerts this week, as more rain fell on already saturated ground in the region.
Localized flooding remains a possibility as the rain continued to fall throughout the early part of Friday. The rain is not expected to taper off until sometime Saturday.
To add to the precipitation woes, snow is in the forecast for Sunday, and again next Tuesday. There is currently no sun in the forecast for at least a week. Basements are bound to be soggy in some areas of Guelph and Wellington County.
The water is high in all streams, rivers and reservoirs in the area. The Speed River through Guelph appears much higher than normal, and the Eramosa River is at the limits of its banks east of the city and through Eramosa River Park, up to Lyon Park where it meets the Speed.
The flood plain that is Royal City Jacees Park, part of Guelph Innovation District (Yorklands), is underwater in a number of areas. Clythe Creek through Yorklands is very high, swift, and spilling its banks.
And the banks are mucky and slippery everywhere. GRCA has warned residents of the watershed to keep children and pets away from the edges of watercourses, Everyone should exercise extreme caution.
The Grand River watershed has so far received between 25 and 40 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, with parts receiving over 100 mm in the same period. More rain is coming.
Flood warnings are in effect for the Conestogo River at St. Jacob Low Level Bridge, which has been closed. And Blackbridge Road bridge in Cambridge has been closed due to high water on the Speed River.
The Nith River in New Hamburg and Ayr is threatening to flood, as is the Grand River through Brant Park in Brantford. Low lying trailer parks along the Grand River could be effected by flooding.
Reservoirs at Belwood, Conestogo, Guelph, Luther, Woolwich, Laurel, and Shades are being used to manage runoff and reduce downstream flooding, according to the latest flood warning/watch issued by GRCA early Friday afternoon.
