Ottawa River WatershedSurface water gauges collect water level data and stream flow data on rivers, creeks, and lakes. Level data is typically collected on lakes and reservoirs. Flows are collected where rating curves have been established on rivers and creeks. Surface water gauges are operated by a division of Environment Canada called Water Survey of Canada (WSC), Parks Canada, the Conservation Authorities, the City of Ottawa and several private companies.

WSC own and operate six surface water gauges on the Ottawa River and some of its tributaries within the jurisdiction of Mississippi Valley Conservation (MVC) and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) and outside the boundaries of the Mississippi and Rideau River Watersheds. The gauge on Sawmill Creek is a historic WSC gauge that was recently reinstated by the City of Ottawa.

Click the map to see the location of the gauges and graph water flow data.

Lièvre WatershedThe Lièvre River watershed is a sub-basin of the Ottawa River.

• Drainage Area: approximately 9542 km2
• General Direction Flow: Southerly
• Headwaters: Head Lake, situated at the very North of the watershed
• Confluence: The Ottawa River at the Masson-Angers section of the City of Gatineau
• Municipalities: 28
• Approximate Population: 38,841
  
• Total Length:330km in length
• Predominant Land Cover: Forest (75%)
• Predominant Land Use: Forestry and agriculture
• Rivers and Tributaries: Mitchinamecus, Kiamika et Sourd rivers

The watershed is bound by the Gatineau River watershed to the West, the Petite Nation River to the South, and the Rouge River watershed to the North East. The area which drains the LièvreRiver watershed crosses three administrative regions. The Laurentides region is the most important with an area of 81% of the watershed, the Ottawa region is second with 13% of the watershed, and finally the Lanaudière region makes up 6% of the territory of the watershed.

Adapted from "Pour la qualité de l'eau du bassin versant de la Lièvre: PORTRAIT" (French only), published by Comité du bassin versant de la rivière du Lièvre (COBALI), 2005.

Rideau WatershedThe Rideau Valley Conservation Authority monitors streamflow at 17 sites along the Rideau River. This data, along with information from the Conservation Authority's climate stations, is essential to understanding the watershed's "water surplus". Although their seems to be an abundance of water, it may not be available at the right time and in the right place. Mother Nature's droughts, rainstorms and floods combined with human needs and consumption don't always match up with supply and demand. Keeping our supply and demand balanced is critical for the health and well-being of the watershed residents; both human and otherwise.

Adapted from RVCA: Annual Rideau Valley Watershed Checkup 2006 

Water Flow/Debit d'eauBy managing water flow and levels in the Mississippi watershed, the overall goal is to maximize the benefits of the water for the people, fish and wildlife living in, on, near or using the system. Water flows and levels are managed for (note these may vary depending on the time of year, location and circumstances):

• Flood control;
• Low flow augmentation;
• Ecological integrity;
• Recreation / tourism; and
• Hydro-generation.

Mississippi Valley Conservation (MVC) maintains a monitoring network of 10 automated lake level gauges, 13 automated steam flow gauges and 27 manual staff gauges (which are read on a weekly basis) at various locations throughout the watershed to monitor levels and flows across the Mississippi and Carp River watersheds. As well there are 10 automated tipping buckets which monitor precipitation throughout the year across the watersheds and a network of between 10 and 20 volunteers which manually collect rainfall data in any given year. MVC also monitors the snow pack at 13 snow course stations located throughout the watersheds from December 1 to April 15 each year.

Adapted from MVC: Mississippi River Water Management Plan Final Report

Lièvre WatershedWater levels fluctuate according to climate, rainfall, spring flooding and other natural factors. On the Lièvre River, water flow is measured at the various dams and stations.

Adapted from "Diagnostic et choix des enjeux, published by the Comité du bassin versant de la rivière du Lièvre (COBALI), 2006

South Nation Watershed

The South Nation River is fed by a number of tributaries including the Bear Brook and Scotch rivers in the north and Castor and Payne rivers further south. The average mean discharge of the South Nation River at Plantagenet is 42.1 m3/sec. The South Nation River shows a common stream flow temporal trend with a high discharge in spring (March and April) and much lower stream flow volume in summer months.

Sourced from the South Nation Conservation: State of the Nation Report