CRRP research projects

Stream Flow monitoring

The City and the MVCA are committed to implementing a long-term streamflow monitoring program for the Upper Carp River Watershed. The program will support the mandate of the MVCA, including flood forecasting and warning. Annual results will be posted on the MVCA website.

Continuous monitoring of water level and streamflow (year round) will occur at three locations in the Upper Carp River Watershed including the Carp River and Poole Creek.

Carp River at Richardson Side Road

Carp River at Maple Grove Road

Poole Creek at Maple Grove Road

All of these streamflow monitoring stations have permanent gauges as part of the ongoing MVCA long-term monitoring program. Water level data is currently being collected and

stage-discharge rating curves are being developed for each location. The Carp River gauges closely relate to flows at MTO's 417 bridge structure. Gauges located at Richardson Side

Road and two on Maple Grove Road (one at the Carp and one at the Poole crossing) will provide appropriate information as the flows from Feedmill are intermittent and can be inferred from the other locations. Palladium Drive was also considered as a replacement for Maple Grove Road location at the Carp River which would not be affected by the future changes to Maple Grove but not selected by the MVCA for access and safety reasons.

Enhanced Mitigation

The results of the Fisheries / Terrestrial and Stream Flow monitoring will be used by the City of Ottawa to indicate where enhanced mitigation measures would be beneficial. These

measures could include:

    • Oil grit separators, bio-retention filters or other technologies for addressing specific types of contaminants in runoff for land uses where these contaminants likely originate.

    • Increases in downstream flow efficiency.

    • Corridor widening.

    • On-site control continuation following model validation.

    • Modifications to fish habitats.

    • Increased riparian plantings.

These adaptive management measures will be implemented in the event that future calibrated/validated models indicate higher water levels than the current model.