The MRC Pontiac council of mayors recently passed a motion asking for an independent inquiry into Ottawa River dam management and its impact on the flooding in the region.
The MRC council is responding to the requests of residents who have seen pictures on social media of low water levels at reservoirs upstream on the Ottawa River.
One picture shows an expanse of dry riverbed near the reservoir at Deux Rivières, about 250 km upstream from Ottawa.
This has prompted many to speculate on why water levels are so low in Deux Rivières while residents in the Outaouais are still struggling against high water levels.
But the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board (ORRPB) insists that the dam operators are doing what they can.
The Deux Rivières reservoir sits about 100 km downstream from the last major reservoir on the Ottawa River at Temiscamingue.
The ORRPB says that dam operators at reservoirs with limited capacity – like the one at Deux Rivières – must open the gates and let water through otherwise the river will back up and cause extensive flooding upstream.
For example, Mattawa is currently experiencing river levels that are nearly half a metre higher than normal. If the Deux Rivières reservoir were to be filled to capacity, residents upstream would bear the brunt of the damage while those downstream would see an average decrease of about 10 cm and only for around three days – until the reservoir fills up again.
And since the last reservoir with major holding capacity is in Temiscamingue, that means the dams the rest of the way down the Ottawa River simply pass what comes their way to prevent backing up the river.
Not only that, but with more than 250 km of river between the last major reservoir and the Outaouais region, there is a lot of land that drains into the Ottawa in that area.
It’s understandable that residents have been questioning the Ottawa River management plan – it’s a difficult subject to wrap your head around. On top of that, the ORRPB has done a less than stellar job when it comes to communications.
But it seems a little bit alarmist to ask for an independent inquiry as though there is some nefarious conspiracy behind the floods.
Do people really think that the ORRPB and Ottawa River dam managers are causing floods down river due to either malice or incompetence?
Our elected officials should be careful in making such assertions, otherwise they risk making bogeymen out of bureaucrats.
Chris Lowrey
