Ottawa RiverRegulationPlanning BoardCommission de planificationde la régularisationde la rivière des Outaouais

Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board

The Planning Board was established to ensure integrated management of the principal reservoirs of the Ottawa River Basin:

  • to reduce flood and drought impacts along the Ottawa River and its tributaries, all the way down to the Montreal Region
  • while maintaining beneficial water uses in the basin.

Current Conditions Summary

Water levels in metres:

View current conditions

River Conditions Forecast

Last Update: 2023-03-21 2:39 PM
Next Update: 2023-03-28 3:00 PM

Water levels and flows in most locations along the main stem of the Ottawa River are close to seasonal values and are expected to decline over the coming week.

View complete forecast

Special Feature

Snow Conditions in the Ottawa River Basin – Now available!

Our website provides a map that will help you keep track of the snow cover in the watershed. The map of the snow water equivalent is available on the Current Conditions webpage (at the top of the interactive map) or can be found by clicking here.

Snow measurements are done on a regular basis at over 100 sites across the basin. The snow map provides an overview of conditions at the time of the most recent snow measurements. It shows the amount of water held in the snow cover compared to the amount of water it normally holds at this same time of year. This amount of water is called ‘snow water equivalent’. The map covers the entire Ottawa River watershed. At a glance, it is possible to see if there was more or less snow than usual at a given time of the year.

This map will be updated in early March, and every two weeks thereafter.

Note: Recent snowfalls or thaws that have caused an increase in snow cover or melting of part of the snow cover may not have been represented in the map. Therefore, the conditions shown on the map may not perfectly reflect current field conditions.

Check out our improved website!

The section ‘About ORRPB’ now includes more information about who we are, what we do and how to stay informed about flows and levels in the Ottawa River.

Check these new pages out:

We hope you will enjoy reading these new pages!

To learn more about the Ottawa River and the management of principal reservoirs, you can view two presentations :

 

Latest News

Early Spring Conditions Overview in the Ottawa River Basin

Bulletins posted on 2023-03-16 by Ottawa River Regulating Committee

The Ottawa River Regulating Committee monitors the Ottawa River basin closely in preparation for the spring freshet. Overall, this winter

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Fall Conditions Overview in the Ottawa River Basin

Bulletins posted on 2022-12-15 by Ottawa River Regulating Committee

The Ottawa River Regulating Committee provides collaborative management of the principal reservoirs in the Ottawa River basin throughout the year.

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2022 Ottawa River Spring Freshet Review

Bulletins posted on 2022-06-28 by Ottawa River Regulating Committee

The freshet started in early April and lasted for approximately 7 weeks.  It was characterized by average peaks but higher

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