The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry – Pembroke District is advising area residents that a flood watch is in effect for the Ottawa River and Madawaska River in Renfrew County.
Residents of Renfrew County should be advised that water levels and flows on the rivers downstream of Deep River are rising rapidly due to accelerated snowmelt and may exceed minor flooding levels later this week.
For safety, all residents should keep a close watch on conditions, regularly check for updated messages and exercise caution near fast-moving rivers and streams. Any residents in areas prone to flooding should take appropriate action to protect their property, such as ensuring sump pumps are functioning and securing items that may float away as water levels rise. Anyone requiring sandbags or assistance should contact their local municipality.
The Ministry also advises extreme caution when using forest access roads for outdoor activities as many are seasonally inundated with water, prone to washouts and may be impassible due to current water levels.
MNRF is closely monitoring the water and developing watershed conditions. Further updates will be issued as appropriate.
A close watch on local conditions and weather forecasts from Environment Canada can be found at weather.gc.ca and the Surface Water Monitoring Centre public webpage can be found at www.ontario.ca/flooding.
