By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, July 20, 2018
After weeks of hot and dry weather, the Ottawa Valley is officially in a widespread drought, with officials asking people who draw water from the Rideau and Mississippi systems to cut back their consumption.
Urban residents whose water comes from the Ottawa River are not affected.
Levels of drought vary: It is considered moderate in the Rideau Valley watershed, but minor so far in the Mississippi Valley.
“Rainfall in the last 90 days, measured at climate stations in and around the watershed, is about 60 per cent of the normal amount for the time of year which is the threshold for Moderate Severity Low Water,” says the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority in an update Friday.
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/drought-in-the-valley-but-ottawa-river-residents-not-affected-so-far