Belleisle Watershed Coalition

Day: May 4, 2025

  • Freshet Charts – May 2nd – Update

    Freshet Charts – May 2nd – Update

    Freshet Updates for April 4th

    Thanks to Lane Bishop, we’re continuing to keep a close watch on water levels in the Belleisle area as the 2025 freshet progresses.
     
    🌊 May 2nd Freshet Update – Water Levels Nearing Their Peak? 🌊
     
    Here is the third set of freshet plots for 2025, showing a recent rise in water levels. The increase is likely due to heavy rainfall combined with melting snow to the north. According to the 5-day forecast, we may be at or near the peak, with levels expected to decline in the coming days.
     
    A big thank you to Lane for his ongoing support and dedication each spring! 🙌
     
    📊 Plot Explanations:
    First plot: For 2025, this is the standard plot of water levels using data at 5-minute intervals from the Oak Point hydrometric station on the Saint John River at the mouth of the Belleisle. See:
    The lines for the other years have the tidal effect removed (the Bay of Fundy tides push the water back a bit up the Saint John River).
     
    Second plot: This plot has the tidal effect removed from the 2025 data as well.
     
    Third plot: Of concern to all of us is not only how high the water levels are right now, but how fast is the water rising? So the left-side scale up the vertical axis shows how fast the water is rising, measured in meters per day (the right-side scale shows feet/day). For the old-timers, 0.3 meters/day is 1 foot/day.
     
    📉 When the line is high, the water is rising very quickly; when it is below the zero line (red horizontal dashed line), the water is receding.
     
    💬 Stay tuned for more updates and feel free to share this with your neighbours and local groups.
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