Ottawa River water levels are slightly above normal due to an early onset of spring thaw, but levels between Lac Coulonge and Lac Deschenes are expected to decrease and stabilize over the coming week as temperatures cool, according to an daily forecast from the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board (ORRPB), published at 4:15 p.m. on Mar. 24.
A press release issued Mar. 19 advised residents of the Ottawa River watershed that the spring freshet is starting early this year “due to recent warm temperatures combined with rain that initiated the melting of snow across the Ottawa River basin.”
Since the press release was published, water levels at Lac Coulonge rose over the weekend, finally reaching 106.89 metres above sea level on Tuesday morning, which is above the historical median of 106.45 metres. At the Chenaux generating station, the level on Mar. 25 was 86.16 metres, which is the historical median for that date.
Water levels can rise rapidly at times and cause minor flooding in low-lying areas,” the Mar. 19 release reads, but concludes it is still too early to predict the magnitude and timing of the peak of this year’s freshet in the main stem of the river
Waltham road floods, one couple sleeps in town hall
Late last week, portions of Waltham’s Black River Road were flooded starting near the 12-kilometre mark.
Waltham mayor Odette Godin said she heard from a couple who were trying to move into their summer home, but found themselves unable to leave when the flood arrived because water levels were too high to leave in their vehicle.
“They couldn’t get across because they have a hybrid. I have a truck, I messaged back and said, ‘Tell me exactly where you are,’” she said, adding that she came to pick up the couple and their five cats and opened the municipal hall for them to sleep in overnight.
Godin said this kind of flooding isn’t uncommon for this time of year, but said Evolugen, the private company that owns the hydroelectric dam in Waltham, usually advises them of high water levels. This year, they received nothing.
Evolugen responded to Godin with the following statement: “With all the rain this week and the milder temperatures, we see that the river flow has increased significantly but that flow would not normally cause flooding. We believe we are having [ . . . ] spring-like flow with winter-type blockage conditions in the river. A highly unusual situation that takes everyone by surprise and causes major inconvenience.”
Godin was unhappy with the response, saying there is “no reason” they should not be able to change the water levels in time, or even alert residents that high water levels might be coming. “They don’t care because there’s so few people living here,” she said.
“We’re trying to get more information. Tell us what’s going on so we can prepare a bit. These poor people, they’re in their vehicle until they happened to ask me if I knew anyone with a truck,” she said.
Godin sits on the MRC’s flood prevention task force, but said there is only so much it can do when the dam is owned by a private company. She said her communications with Evolugen resulted in some water being released from the dam, but portions of the road remain flooded.
“There’s not much coming out of the dam,” she said. “People can’t drive in and out to their homes.”
