Water levels in Montreal much lower than normal after dry, hot summer

The water levels on the Island of Montreal are very low after a dry and very hot summer.

Water levels are low, and the effects are being felt and seen across the Island of Montreal.

Underneath De la Concorde Bridge between Ile Ste-Helen and Montreal’s Old Port, rocks that are normally submerged are clearly visible.

Bird watcher Karen Sherman says she visits the area at least once a month and notices the difference.

“It’s sad in a way, but it’s also an opportunity for good birding because the birds like these kinds of conditions,” she said. “So I had my eyes peeled for any special shorebirds.”

On the St. Lawrence River, surfers are still riding the rapids, but they say they have to watch out for sharp rocks because it’s much shallower than usual.

According to the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), the river is 30 centimetres below the average.

“It’s not a historic low, but for sure it’s something that doesn’t occur very often,” said CHS manager Jonathan Morin.

Morin said it’s not normal that the low water levels have lasted this long and that the hot, dry weather is to blame.

“Since August, it hasn’t rained a lot that often, and when it does, it doesn’t last for a long time,” said Morin. “It’s a few millimetres.”

Regardless of the current level, Polytechnique professor Sarah Dorner said people should always be mindful of their water usage.

She added that there shouldn’t be a concern for the municipal water supply.

“We are approaching historical lows in some areas,” said Dorner. “So obviously it’s a concern for people... But these are large systems. There is a lot of water.”

Water levels are expected to remain low for the next few weeks, and Moris says that there needs to be a lot of rain to get the levels back to normal.