Ramsey Lake modelling for sub-watershed study & stormwater master plan

Ramsey Lake is a key natural feature located in the southeast portion of the City of Greater Sudbury.  The lake is an important municipal drinking water source and has the unique geological features of exposed bedrock and thin surficial soil cover, as well as a rich mining history and related impacts that are heritage of the Sudbury area.  The primary stormwater management issues in the Ramsey Lake watershed are the impact upon water quality due to uncontrolled stormwater discharges from existing urban areas, runoff from agricultural areas and wastewater treatment plant effluent and historic flooding events along the main channel.

A hydrologic model (PCSWMM) was developed and assessment of flow were conducted in Ramsey Lake subwatershed. A hydraulic model (Geo-HECRAS) was then developed to understand the potential flooding impact of main River and the municipal drains within the study are of the Whitson River. Each of the culverts and road crossings along the creeks including the detailed information of inverts and obverts and other parameters such as material type, headwall structures and sediment blockages were considered in hydraulic model. The design storms and storm events, simulated hydrologic model, were included in the hydraulic model. Using the hydraulic model, the floodlines were generated for the 100-year storm and the manually refines to define the estimated limits of the flood. Floodlines was used to analyze and define the storm water management scenarios to solve the flooding issue in the areas under flood risk.  

Furthermore, a baseline hydraulic model and assessment of the storm sewer system is being conducted for Ramsey Lake Subwatershed. The model setup was considered both major and minor systems. The Ramsey Lake hydraulic and hydrologic models will be applied to assess the performance of the minor system (state of surcharge of the sewers) as well as to assess the major system flow depths under the 100-year storm.

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