The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority is warning shoreline residents that there is a heightened risk for bluff collapse and gully erosion along the Lake Huron shoreline.
Staff says we've had a wetter than average winter, and a mild winter means the ground is not frozen.
Maitland Conservation staff report that the 30-year average for January to February rainfall is 30 mm and the average snowfall is 100 cm. In 2016 the watershed received an average of 63 mm of rain and 120 cm of snow.
So recent rain fall has saturated the land, and softened the clay bluffs, which are now unstable.
That can lead to slope failure. Plus lake levels are forecast to be higher this year compared to 2015.
High wind and wave action could erode the base of the bluffs.
Landowners should notify the conservation authority about any bluff failures that do occur.
Bluff erosion is a natural and unpredictable process that needs to be respected.
Bluff failures are very unpredictable in terms of when they will happen, or how extensive they will be," says Stephen Jackson, flood and erosion safety services coordinator with the conservation authority. “It’s important that landowners be aware of the risk and have a plan in place in case of a significant failure.”
