Advancing flood forecasting: Ontario invests $540,000 in water research
The Province of Ontario is investing $540,000 over three years in a new collaborative research agreement with the University of Waterloo to advance hydrologic modelling, flood forecasting and water management tools that help communities across the province prepare for and respond to flooding.
The funding was announced October 30 during a visit to the University of Waterloo by Ontario Minister of Natural Resources Mike Harris. The investment builds on a long-standing partnership between the province and Waterloo researchers, bringing together scientific expertise to strengthen flood preparedness and support better water management decisions.
Leading the Ontario Hydrologic Modelling Assessment project is Water Institute researcher Bryan Tolson, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on hydrologic modelling and water resources systems, helping improve predictions of how water moves through watersheds and inform decisions about flood risks, infrastructure planning and dam operations.
"Better models and improved forecasts of floods can give communities more time to prepare and help the province manage its dams to balance competing demands on Ontario's rivers and lakes," says Tolson. "The project also gives our graduate students direct experience working alongside ministry scientists on real water resources applications and water management problems."
This announcement builds on the success of a previous four-year, $494,500 agreement with the University of Waterloo that resulted in the development of the Ontario Hydrologic Modelling System (OHMS), the Ontario Hydrologic Atlas (OHA), the Streamflow Alteration Index (SAI), and the Ontario Lake and River Routing Product (OLRRP). All of these tools will be made publicly available for both researchers and practitioners to support their work.
The modelling builds on Raven, an open-source hydrologic modelling framework developed at Waterloo over nearly 20 years by James Craig, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a member of the Water Institute. Craig is a co-investigator on both research agreements. Used across Canada for operational streamflow forecasting, Raven provides the computational foundation for modelling how water moves through watersheds.
The new agreement will advance the modelling system to improve flood forecasts and demonstrate how modelling can guide decisions about how much water to hold back or release in managed watersheds. One example case study is the Muskoka watershed, where Waterloo researchers and Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) staff are collaborating to apply advanced modelling and analysis to explore alternative water management strategies in the watershed.
The partnership also gives graduate students and postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to work alongside ministry scientists and engineers on real-world water resources challenges, gaining practical experience while contributing to research with direct applications across the province.
By connecting Waterloo's expertise in hydrologic modelling with the needs of government and local communities, the partnership will help translate research into practical tools and strengthen Ontario's ability to prepare for flooding and manage its water resources.
Learn more about Tolson's research and the Raven Hydrological Modelling Framework.
Photo LtoR: Dean Mary Wells, Bryan Tolson, Minister Mike Harris and Bill Rosehart.