The Current - June 2019

The Public Advisory Group publishes this bimonthly newsletter to keep you informed about the Lake Champlain Richelieu River flooding study.

Welcome to this issue of The Current

The Public Advisory Group for the Lake Champlain Richelieu River flood study is made up of 14 men and women representing communities in Canada and the United States, and includes people who have experienced damages from flooding in their homes, at their businesses or in their communities. They are working to find ways for the public to be aware of the study as well as for them to provide feedback on future solutions that are being considered to reduce the impacts of flooding.

 

With recent spring flooding, we are all reminded how important it is to understand the different perspectives, and to present clear, science-based information to understand how and why flooding occurs, as well as what actions individuals and communities can take to reduce impacts of future flooding.

 

A recent meeting of the Public Advisory Group allowed members to weigh in on fact sheets in development, and information to be shared at the fall public meetings. They also learned about an upcoming risk perception survey that the Social, Political and Economic Analysis technical working group will send out to 4,500 households across the Lake Champlain-Richelieu River Basin in the coming weeks. We encourage all who receive that survey to respond, as the Study outcomes will be more meaningful with input from as broad an audience as possible.

 

Madeleine Papineau, Canadian co-Chair

Kris Stepenuck, US co-Chair

View of water from the shore on a blue day
View of water from the shore
2019 Public Meetings - Save the Date! Circle the week of November 18 on your calendars.
2019 Public Meetings - Save the Date!

Focus on climate change

Approximately 30 climate experts and study members came together for a workshop in Montreal, Quebec this past March. Participants were there to determine how to assess the impacts that climate variability and change might have on future flooding in the Lake Champlain-Richelieu River basin. One conclusion they reached was that, given the uncertainty around future climate scenarios in the basin, the study group needs to consider several different approaches to refine adaptive management recommendations. Read more about this workshop in the May 2019 issue of Water Matters.

 

People

Bill Richmond and John Brodt have joined the US Outreach team. Visit the Outreach page online to learn more about their role in the study.

 

New on the Web

Read it

We’ve added three new fact sheets to help keep you in the know.

 

  1. In 2021, the study will recommend approaches to reduce the impacts of flooding. The flood mitigation framework fact sheet organizes this broad range of possible actions into four themes.

 

  1. Do releases of water from dams and reservoirs in the US portion of the basin contribute to flooding in Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River? Discover the facts on Dams and Reservoirs  in the Lake Champlain Richelieu River Basin.

 

  1. The Spring Flooding fact sheet points out where to get the latest forecasts on water levels in Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River as well as tips to prepare for flooding.

 

View these and other information products using the drop down menu under Library on the study  website.

 

Watch it

In April, University of Vermont’s community TV series, Across the Fence, featured Kris Stepenuck, our US Public Advisory Group lead. Watch now to learn more about the 5-year flooding study and the long- term effects it may have on future flooding in Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River.

 

Public participation is an important part of the study process. Want to know how you can be part of the conversation? Send us an email at lcrr@ottawa.ijc.org.