The Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government recently started using the Water Resources Agency’s streamflow gauges to report river capacities at times of inclement weather. Prior to August 2022, this data was closely guarded by the Water and Sewerage Authority, only allowing key stakeholders access.
These Stream Flow Gauge Systems were outfitted with a Level Transmitter, Solar Panels, Radio Communication, Enclosures, etc., to monitor water levels at specific points as part of the Community Flood Early Warning System.
The data has been converted into an easy-to-interpret graphic produced by the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, showing river capacities generally from the larger rivers of Trinidad. Namely, the Caroni River (at El Carmen in the upper basin and Bamboo Settlement #3 in the lower basin), the North Oropouche River at Toco Main Road, the South Oropouche River at Sanahie Trace Bridge, Debe, the Caparo River, the Arouca River, and the Aripo River.
However, in this latest round of riverine flooding and inclement weather, one streamflow gauge was noticeably missing from the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government’s River Level Advisory – South Oropouche.
The South Oropouche River Basin
The South Oropouche River Basin is situated on the southwestern coast of Trinidad.
Its catchment area of about 450 square kilometers extending as far east as Moruga and as far north as Princes Town. The river channels water westward by a dense network of tributaries that drain into the Godineau/South Oropouche Swamp. It can take up to one day (24 hours) for water from the easternmost point of the river to reach the Gulf of Paria, traveling up to 30 kilometers.
Based on the 2011 census data, nearly 200,000 people live in the South Oropouche River Basin. This basin typically experiences flooding following high-intensity, short-duration thunderstorms or rainfall events up to ten times a year. However, records have shown that in the last five years, basin-wide floods with high water depths, taking several days to subside, have been occurring almost annually. Having streamflow data for the area can provide another layer of early warning for forecasters and give the public a general idea of the river’s capacity at any given point in time.
Early October 2022 Floods Take A Victim
When the rains came in early October, the South Oropouche River overtopped in several areas. At Sanahie Trace Bridge, Debe, the peak reported capacity was 73% on October 6th, 2022, according to the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government.
According to the councilor for the area, Nicholas Kanhai, the South Oropouche River and a broken 6-inch WASA pipeline have caused significant erosion at the Sanahie Trace Bridge. Kanhai relayed he wrote to the respective ministries, including Water Resources Agency, about the erosion, which affected the communication tower twice on October 6th and 13th. He explained the tower was removed, but the system was never fully repaired.
While communities eagerly await its repair, note that rivers across the country are monitored both by streamflow gauges once available as well as through estimates from eyewitnesses. These eyewitness reports are far more common across the country as gauges are more of an exception rather than the norm.
