Satellite RADAR imagery used for Badger flood forecasting now available online

Environment and Conservation Minister Tom Osborne announced today that satellite RADAR imagery used for flood forecasting for Badger is now available to the general public on the Department of Environment and Conservation�s web site. "The imagery demonstrates government�s efforts to use the best available technology to warn the people of Badger of any impending flood," said Minister Osborne.

Since December 2003 the Water Resources Management Division (WRMD) has been testing on an operational basis, the use of RADAR imagery from polar orbiting satellites to further improve the flood forecasting for Badger. This RADAR imagery service has been provided by C-CORE and has been funded by the European Space Agency�s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. Satellite radar images have been provided by the Canadian Space Agency.

Minister Osborne explained that the RADAR images are used to determine the location of the ice front and to use as an input to the "Ice Progression Model" currently used by the WRMD to simulate ice conditions on the Exploits River for the purposes of flood forecasting.

"Before December 2003, ice observations were limited for the most part to volunteer observations made by Town officials and paper mill staff," said the Minister. "However, despite the best intentions of the volunteers, the effectiveness of volunteer observation was limited. There were a few vantage points on the riverbank where ice observations could be made, the observations were weather dependent and there were safety issues associated with volunteers trying to access vantage points in icy conditions."

Minister Osborne also noted the use of RADAR imagery for ice observation provides several important advantages over volunteer observations. "The RADAR imagery offers a "big picture" view of a large segment of the Exploits River at one instance. It is able to work in all weathers as the RADAR sees through rain, snow and fog, and if needed twice daily, observations can be made by the satellite," said the Minister.

The use of RADAR imagery for accurate location of the ice front represents a major improvement in the flood forecast capability for the residents of Badger as the satellite imagery improves prediction of the timing of any impending floods.

For more information on RADAR imagery and its use in the flood forecasting for Badger, visit //www.env.gov.nl.ca/wrmd/Badger/default.asp or call the water resources management division at (709) 729-2563.

Media contact: Tina Coffey, Communications, (709) 729-5783, 728-8650

2007 02 09                                     12:20 p.m.