Officials, residents watch for flooding as spring melt underway in eastern Ontario

Residents who live in flood-prone areas are getting ready for spring and the possibility of rising water levels. CTV’s Peter Szperling reports.

Spring has sprung, and as the snow melts, officials and residents are keeping an eye on water levels in eastern Ontario.

The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board is advising residents that water levels on the Ottawa River are higher than normal for this time of year because of an early spring melt, but there is currently no indication of any major flooding risks.

“In the Ottawa area, we’ve got a low risk for flooding. We’re watching our small waterways. We don’t anticipate there to be anything of concern. It is too early to assess the risk on the Ottawa River. But early indicators are good,” said Jim Lethbridge, manager with public works, emergency planning and response at the City of Ottawa.

Area conservation authorities, along with the City of Ottawa are monitoring conditions.

“We want to encourage people to maintain awareness of flood conditions and forecast,” he said.

He says three conservation authorities have issued flood statements in our region.

“There’s a flood watch in effect at this point, and most of the risk is related to our waterways as they continue to release ice,” he added.

Lethbridge reminds all residents to maintain awareness of risk when next to water.

Eastern Ontario was hit with several floods in 2017, 2019, and a risk – but not as severe in 2023. It’s still early in the spring, and officials will continue to monitor levels.

“The initial indicators are positive, so we’re not concerned at this point we’re going to see significant flooding to those previous years. In the local area, we have higher water levels; they’re nuisance flooding occurring in areas like pathways underneath Billings Bridge at Bank Street. We expect our levels to remain generally consistent with where they are now, and they will fluctuate slightly and depends again on how much rain we receive,” he said.

The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board says sub-zero temperatures at night are moderating the spring melt, but above normal temperatures combined with some rain this week are expected to lead to further snow melt across the basin, which is expected to increase water levels between Mattawa and Montreal.

“While there are no indicators of concern at this time, it is important to remember that spring water levels depend on several factors including the timing and amount of rainfall during the months of March, April and May. Weather conditions that bring a rapid melt of the snow or heavy rainfall events can only be known a few days in advance,” the board said.

In April 2023, Chantel Coutoure-Campbell prepared for flooding with sandbags around her Dunrobin waterfront home.

High water levels hit the area in 2019 and 2017, in what was supposed to be a once-in-a-century flood,

“I think it took everyone by surprise. We had people who were in their 70s on this street who had never, expected this to happen again,” she told CTV News Ottawa Thursday.

This year, she’s staying positive water levels won’t get that high.

"Call me an optimist, but no, I know there’s more snow and everything as of late, but I do think it can be managed by the people who are running the dams," she added.

It’s a stressful time of year for many who live along the river, watching levels. However, Dunrobin residents are staying positive.

“We wait and see. We have a sump. We have to make sure it can empty. And when it gets really bad, we have to get a bigger pump with a wider hose, like a fire hose to dump it. But we’ve never not been able to stay on top of using those two tricks,” said Laurie Ashworth.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Ted Raymond