Adapting to Climate Change on TSW Reservoir Lakes

On this episode of PH we look at the impact of climate change on the Trent Severn Waterway, the risks posed by increased extreme weather events, less predictable water levels and what can be done to minimize the associated risks.

Ted Spence and Bruce McClennan, the chair and vice chair of the Coalition for Equitable Water Flow, discuss two new videos on these issues produced by the Coalition to raise awareness and encourage active adaptation planning.

The Trent Severn Waterway - TSW for short - is a 386-kilometre-long canal route connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, at Port Severn.

To maintain navigation and hydro-electric power generation in the lower or navigational portion of the waterway, water is stored and released as needed in the so-called RAFT (or Reservoir and Flow Through Lakes) in Haliburton and Peterborough counties.

The reservoir system is complex to manage with historic seasonal water level changes of up to 10 feet (3.4m) on some lakes combined with severe water flow bottlenecks at high flood risk locations along the way, like in the Village of Minden and City of Peterborough.

The changes in the timing and amount of precipitation, as well as periods of drought that a changing climate brings, adds to the complexity of managing a system that was not primarily built for flood control.