CURRENT CONDITIONS
Rideau River
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) has updated its Flood Outlook Statement. Should we get significant rain over the weekend, it now says flooding could occur on the smaller creeks and streams in the Rideau Valley Watershed, including Stevens Creek and any connected creeks or ditches near North Gower that are highly susceptible to spring flooding. It is unclear how much precipitation will fall and what form it will take. Potential flooding along roadways is also a concern due to snow and ice buildup on roadside ditches.
Water levels and flow are expected to increase in all waterways in the Rideau Valley Watershed into next week, but the short-term forecast does not suggest flooding along the Rideau River yet.
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board’s March 21 update indicated that water levels and flows in most locations continue to be at seasonal values and are expected to continue declining in the coming week.
Minor Water Courses
The South Nation Conservation Area issued a Water Safety Statement on March 17. Much like the RVCA’s Flood Outlook Statement, this is for awareness. Most water courses that contribute to the Rideau, Ottawa, or South Nation rivers remain at normal levels. We are closely monitoring the South Castor River, a tributary of the South Nation River. The water levels are going up at Kenmore but are still 10 to 20 centimetres away from flooding offset.
OUR RESPONSE
A new sandbag-filling depot was set up this week at 2145 Roger Stevens Drive. This will complement the depot that was already in place at 29 Hurdman Road.
This week, the amphibious excavator continued working on breaking the ice on the Rideau River. On Thursday, it reached Billings Bridge, bringing this year’s Rideau River Flood Control operations to a close.
We continue to work with our partners and will adjust our response as conditions warrant.
WHAT RESIDENTS CAN DO
Residents can join the City of Ottawa’s Spring Flood 2023 Facebook group to access information for those affected by spring flooding or anyone who wishes to keep up to date with any developments.
Residents can also visit ottawa.ca/springflooding to get valuable information such as current conditions, any road, pathway or park closures, planning and prevention tips, and sandbag depot locations.
Residents who want to sign up for the RVCA’s flood mailing list, they can do that here.
