Rising Ottawa River Water Levels

Press Release posted on 2019-04-11 by Ottawa River Regulating Committee

OTTAWA/GATINEAU, Thursday April 11, 2019 — The Ottawa River Regulating Committee would like to inform watershed residents that levels and flows along the Ottawa River have begun increasing with the onset of the spring freshet period. It cautions residents along the shores of the Ottawa River, from Mattawa down to the Montreal region that during the spring period water levels can rise rapidly and cause minor flooding in low-lying areas. Based on the current snow cover, the Regulating Committee anticipates that the flow volume in the Ottawa River will be higher than average this spring.

River Conditions Forecast / Flooding Risk: Spring runoff in the southern and central portions of the Ottawa River basin is expected to continue to increase due to forecasted warmer temperatures and precipitation over the next few days. Levels and flows in the lower reach of the Ottawa river from Lake Deschenes down to the Montreal region could increase rapidly at times. Minor flooding in low-lying areas may occur over the next few days depending on the temperatures and precipitation amounts received. Low-lying areas are those that are flooded regularly during the spring freshet period.

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