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Flood Warning — Rideau River Water Levels Subsiding
Water levels have been dropping throughout the Rideau watershed since Saturday but not all flooded areas are fully dry yet. Water levels have dropped about 22 centimetres since the Saturday peak on the Long Reach between Burritts Rapids and Manotick. Another 34 centimetres are left to go on Hilly Lane and similar amounts on the neighbouring waterfront communities near Kemptville. Until those communities have safe access restored, the Flood Warning will remain in effect.
The decline in levels in the Long Reach will be slowed by rain forecast for tomorrow and by water that has to be released from Big Rideau Lake to alleviate high water conditions on the Rideau Canal reservoir lakes. The release of water will be synchronized as much as possible with the movement of water through the Long Reach to avoid causing levels there to increase again.
Flood waters in and near Windsor Park and in Brantwood Park in Ottawa South and East have receded as have waters in the Richmond area on the Jock River.
It continues to be important for parents to advise their children of the dangers of cold and, in places, fast moving springtime waters. Everyone needs to be cautious.
Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and will issue updates as warranted.
RVCA Watershed Conditions Statements:
- Water Safety – High flows, unstable banks, melting ice or other factors that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers, canoeists, hikers, children, pets, etc. Flooding is not expected.
- Flood Outlook – Early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts, calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high winds or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams and/or lakeshore flooding or erosion.
- Flood Watch – Flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services and individuals in flood prone areas should prepare.
- Flood Warning – Flooding is imminent or already occurring in area watercourses.
Flood Warning — Rideau System Reaching Peak Water Levels
Runoff from the rain event on Thursday is working its way through the system leaving several waterfront communities still without access to their properties.
Water levels have been holding more or less steady for the last few hours. A definite peak has not yet been reached but can be expected today. Cooler temperatures overnight have slowed the runoff process. Temperatures of over 10 degrees forecast for today will cause much of the remaining snow and ice to melt and run off today which will keep levels up for the short term.
Once a definite decline of levels begins, Parks Canada staff will need to begin releasing water from the reservoir lakes upstream of Smiths Falls to relieve high levels on the lakes. Every effort will be made to keep the release close to the rate of decline on the Long Reach between Burritts Rapids and Manotick to avoid increasing water levels again in the communities first hit on Thursday.
Water levels on the Jock River rose through Friday causing some properties in and around Richmond to have access issues and their sump pumps running. Flooding in Ottawa South adjacent to and in Windsor Park and in Ottawa East in Brantwood Park has closed the streets and park pathway.
Weather forecasts call for 10 millimetres of rain on Tuesday and continued warm daytime temperatures. The warm temperatures will continue to take the frost out of the soil and melt the last stubborn snow and ice in sheltered areas. The rain is likely to slow the rate of recession of water levels for a brief time.
As with all of these messages, we want to emphasize the need for caution near the cold and, in some places, fast moving water. Parents need to make their children aware of the danger.
Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and will issue updates as warranted.
RVCA Watershed Conditions Statements:
- Water Safety – High flows, unstable banks, melting ice or other factors that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers, canoeists, hikers, children, pets, etc. Flooding is not expected.
- Flood Outlook – Early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts, calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high winds or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams and/or lakeshore flooding or erosion.
- Flood Watch – Flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services and individuals in flood prone areas should prepare.
- Flood Warning – Flooding is imminent or already occurring in area watercourses.
Heavy rain on Thursday has caused streamflows and lake levels to increase significantly in the Rideau River watershed.
The amount of rain that fell in eastern Ontario wasn’t quite as much as forecast but it is certainly having an impact. Such water levels were last reached in 2014. The worst impact is in North Grenville and rural Ottawa near the confluence of Kemptville Creek with the Rideau River.
Some street and pathway flooding is occurring in Ottawa South adjacent to and in Windsor Park and in Ottawa East in Brantwood Park. No residential flooding in urban Ottawa has been reported to the RVCA.
With only light rain showers still in the forecast and runoff has been working its way through the system, the rate of increase of water levels has begun to slow down. Peak flow can be expected to occur tonight or early Saturday at about 450 cubic metres per second as measured at the monitoring station at Carleton University.
The recession will continue through the weekend. However, there may be a reversal on Monday as Parks Canada staff release water held in the Rideau Canal reservoir lakes that has been held back to provide some peak flow attenuation. This influx of water is expected to slow the recession briefly.
Everyone, especially children, are advised to stay away from the fast flowing and cold water in watershed streams. Also, there may still be ice on some more sheltered lakes that can be expected to be highly unstable and should be avoided.
Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and will issue updates as warranted.
RVCA Watershed Conditions Statements:
- Water Safety – High flows, unstable banks, melting ice or other factors that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers, canoeists, hikers, children, pets, etc. Flooding is not expected.
- Flood Outlook – Early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts, calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high winds or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams and/or lakeshore flooding or erosion.
- Flood Watch – Flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services and individuals in flood prone areas should prepare.
- Flood Warning – Flooding is imminent or already occurring in area watercourses.
Rain presently falling is causing flows in the Rideau River to increase toward thresholds at which flooding can be expected to cause access issues to lower lying waterfront properties.
The area first affected will be the Long Reach of the Rideau between Kars and Kemptville. In particular, access to Hilly Lane, Cedar Beach, Rideau Glen and other neighbourhoods on that reach of the river can be expected to be compromised as the rain enters the system today. Rain forecast in the order of fifty-five millimetres (mm) on Thursday and Friday can be expected to be followed by a peak on Saturday in excess of 450 cubic metres per second (cms) on the Rideau River measured at the monitoring station at Carleton University. To compare, the historical average flow at the Carleton gauge is 320 cms.
Such flows in the system can also be expected to put water on the end of Belmont Avenue, on Rideau River Drive and into Windsor Park in Ottawa South by Friday.
Finally, be safe! Ensure that children stay away from cold, fast flowing rivers and streams.
Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and issue further statements as conditions warrant.
RVCA Watershed Conditions Statements:
- Water Safety – High flows, unstable banks, melting ice or other factors that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers, canoeists, hikers, children, pets, etc. Flooding is not expected.
- Flood Outlook – Early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts, calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high winds or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams and/or lakeshore flooding or erosion.
- Flood Watch – Flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services and individuals in flood prone areas should prepare.
- Flood Warning – Flooding is imminent or already occurring in area watercourses.
Brassils Creek - 2016 Summary Report
Flood Watch — Rain Bringing Spring High Waters
Rain presently falling is causing flows in the Rideau River to increase toward thresholds at which flooding can be expected to cause access issues to lower lying waterfront properties.
The area first affected will be the Long Reach of the Rideau between Kars and Kemptville. In particular, access to Hilly Lane, Cedar Beach, Rideau Glen and other neighbourhoods on that reach of the river can be expected to be compromised as the rain enters the system today. Rain forecast in the order of fifty-five millimetres (mm) on Thursday and Friday can be expected to be followed by a peak on Saturday in excess of 450 cubic metres per second (cms) on the Rideau River measured at the monitoring station at Carleton University. To compare, the historical average flow at the Carleton gauge is 320 cms.
Such flows in the system can also be expected to put water on the end of Belmont Avenue, on Rideau River Drive and into Windsor Park in Ottawa South by Friday.
Finally, be safe! Ensure that children stay away from cold, fast flowing rivers and streams.
Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and issue further statements as conditions warrant.
RVCA Watershed Conditions Statements:
- Water Safety – High flows, unstable banks, melting ice or other factors that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers, canoeists, hikers, children, pets, etc. Flooding is not expected.
- Flood Outlook – Early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts, calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high winds or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams and/or lakeshore flooding or erosion.
- Flood Watch – Flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services and individuals in flood prone areas should prepare.
- Flood Warning – Flooding is imminent or already occurring in area watercourses.
Map A Property
Note: as of April 1, 2024, Ontario Regulation 41/24: Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits will replace the RVCA's existing Ontario Regulation 174/06 under Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act. Our online mapping tool has been updated to reflect the new regulation.
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Rain presently forecast for this week is expected to cause a significant increase in flows and water levels, potentially to 1:4 year frequency (flow that has a 25% probability of occurrence in any year).
There is still some snow in the Rideau River watershed which will be much reduced today with the arrival of temperatures above 10 degrees. This will increase flows slowly through the day. Twenty millimetres of rain now forecast for Tuesday will cause further increases. Fifty millimetres of rain on Thursday and Friday can be expected to bring a peak on Saturday possibly in the range of 450 to 500 cubic metres per second (cms) on the Rideau River at the monitoring station at Carleton University. The historical 30-year mean flow at the Carleton gauge is 320 cms.
Such flows in the system will cause flooding of access roads at Hilly Lane and other low-lying communities in the Long Reach of the Rideau River between Kemptville and Kars beginning Tuesday with the first bout of rain this week. By Thursday night, waterfront streets in Ottawa South like Belmont Avenue and Rideau River Drive along with Windsor Park can be expected to have water on the streets and on the pathway in the park. Flows can be expected to decline through the weekend.
With the increasing flows and rain, everyone needs to be cautious around all waterbodies. Children need to be warned of the dangers of flowing, cold water.
Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and issue further statements as conditions warrant.
RVCA Watershed Conditions Statements:
- Water Safety – High flows, unstable banks, melting ice or other factors that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers, canoeists, hikers, children, pets, etc. Flooding is not expected.
- Flood Outlook – Early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts, calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high winds or other conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams and/or lakeshore flooding or erosion.
- Flood Watch – Flooding is possible in specific watercourses or municipalities. Municipalities, emergency services and individuals in flood prone areas should prepare.
- Flood Warning – Flooding is imminent or already occurring in area watercourses.
RVCA Celebrates Successful Year
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) Board of Directors celebrated another successful year with the release of their 2016 Annual Report. The report highlights numerous on-the-ground projects that happened throughout the Rideau watershed that drains over 4,000 square kilometres in Eastern Ontario.
For over 50 years RVCA, along with its many volunteers and partners, has been working to protect and enhance our local environment. Year after year, conservation authority staff, municipalities and partners continue to have a positive impact on the health and resilience of our watershed. Today’s investment in local watershed health will ensure a sustainable future that supports local communities, economies, tourism and recreation.
“We are pleased to see so much valuable, relevant work being done throughout the Rideau watershed,” said Sommer Casgrain-Robertson, RVCA General Manager. “We strive to provide the best programs and services to our watershed municipalities and their residents. We are pleased that for every $1 from our member municipalities, RVCA is able to convert that into $2 through grants, fundraising and unique partnerships. We bring the work back to our communities.”
Highlights for 2016 include:
- $681,000+ in grants distributed to landowners who undertook stewardship projects
- 225,865 trees planted (5.68 million planted since 1984)
- 62,000 visitors annually to conservation areas
- 5,000+ students experienced RVCA Outdoor Education Programs
- 1,332 Planning Act applications received (minor variances, site plan control, subdivision applications, etc.)
- 1,154 hours from 295 volunteers invested in Ottawa’s City Stream Watch program to research and clean up city streams
- 634 applications for new or replacement septic systems received
- 360 hours donated by 25+ volunteers to help monitor and sample Watershed Watch lakes
- 287 applications received for work along wetlands, shorelines and waterways (Section 28, Conservation Authorities Act)
- 218 septic re-inspections completed in participating municipalities
- 118 stream sites sampled to monitor water quality (biology and chemistry)
- 53 shorelines naturalized (5.1 kilometres) through the Shoreline Naturalization Program
- 42 kilometres of trails maintained for public use at local conservation areas
- 39 lakes monitored for nutrients, E.coli and other parameters
- 14 stream clean ups and 10 invasive species removals on tributary streams
- 10 flood warnings and 13 drought messages issued release of the Middle Rideau Subwatershed Report and 10 catchment reports
For your copy of the RVCA 2016 Annual Report, visit www.rvca.ca or call 613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 for a hard copy. To see what’s in store for 2017 take a look at our 2017 Budget and Work Plan which is also available online at our website.