Rising Ottawa River Water Levels
Press Release posted on 2017-04-05 by Ottawa River Regulating Committee
OTTAWA/GATINEAU, Wednesday April 5, 2017 –The Ottawa River Regulating Committee cautions that level and flows on the Ottawa River are expected to significantly increase this week due to warming temperatures and rainfall.
Spring runoff in the Ottawa River basin is increasing due to recent warm temperatures and rainfall. Warming temperatures and rainfall amounts of up to 60 mm are expected over the course of the week in the central and southern portion of the basin. The combination of heavy rainfall and snow melt may result in significant increases in water levels and flows in the Ottawa River and its tributaries. Officials of the Committee would like to inform residents in low-lying areas along the shores of the Ottawa River, downstream of the Ottawa-Gatineau region down to the Montreal region, of the possibility of minor flooding within the next few days depending on the amount of precipitation received.
While the major storage reservoirs in the watershed are containing the majority of the increased runoff from the north, there is limited capability to deal with the contribution from the central and southern portion of the drainage basin as it is unregulated. During this critical period, the Committee will take all possible actions to limit the amount of flooding and will continuously monitor conditions at all points along the river. Further bulletins will be issued if the situation changes.
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