| Apr 16, 2014


Conservation authorities throughout the region were posting and updating flood advisories early this week as the higher than average winter runoff combined with the latest in a series of spring rains caused floods along the Mississippi, Rideau, Quinte and Cataraqui Conservation area watersheds. Among the hardest hit areas in the Frontenac News' region were places in the vicinity of Arden in the Salmon River watershed and Verona in the Salmon and Napanee River watersheds, both of which are watched over by Quinte Conservation.

Bryon Keene, the water resources manager for Quinte Conservation, said on Tuesday that, “Overnight rainfall Monday and the present downpour are contributing to rising levels in the headwater areas and this water still has to pass downstream.”

Among the water flow monitors that Quinte has in place is one at Depot Creek at Bellrock Road. The flow rate at that location was high last week, and then dropped over the weekend but has since jumped up with the Monday night rains. On Tuesday morning the flow rate was 18.9 metres per second, 3.5 times the average flow for that location, and by 7 pm the rate had risen to 19.7 metres.

Keene said he expects that rate to continue to rise, and even after it peaks it will not likely start to decline for a number of days. Low-lying areas in Verona have been affected, including some businesses along Verona Main Street.

“We only have one way of controlling the water flowing through the Napanee River watershed, and that is by storing water in the Depot lakes. At this point the lakes are full so we don't really have anything we can do.”

The Salmon River has overflowed its banks as it rushes south through a culvert on Highway 7 at the Arden exit, flooding a park along the highway as well as a small section of the Arden road.

The situation is more dire for a number of residents living on the Elm Tree Road, which is downstream from Big Clear Lake before it feeds into the Salmon River.

Several back and front yards are under several feet of water, and one home is surrounded by water.

A few houses over, Rob Woodcock's woodpile and picnic table are under water and he is concerned that a holding tank he put in last year will be ruined by the flood waters. “The water level was high over the weekend but last night it went up another two feet,” he said.

Mississippi Valley Conservation has issued a flood warning for Dalhousie Lake and further downstream towards Carleton Place, and also along the Fall River. The already high waters of Sharbot and Bennett Lakes are expected to rise by 5-10 centimetres in the coming days.

Cataraqui Region Conservation is maintaining a flood warning for a number of lakes, including Sydenham, Loughborough and Buck. A number of creeks that were going down last week and are not considered in the flood warning area, have risen as the result of rains this week but are expected to start dropping back by the end of the work week. These include Wilton Creek, Millhaven Creek, Collins Creek, Little Cataraqui Creek, Lyn Creek, and Buells Creek.

Bobs Lake is a key reservoir lake for the Rideau watershed, and Rideau Valley Conservation reports that it has risen by over a metre since mid-March. As of early this week it had gone above its upper limit at 163 metres; therefore water will be released at the Bolingbroke dam, relieving flood concerns at Bobs Lake but creating more concern downstream towards the City of Ottawa.

Conservation authority officials point out that they are responsible for monitoring water levels and exercising control where they can; however, it is the local townships that are responsible for dealing with flooding if it affects residents. In most cases, the main concern of the local townships has been the effect of high water levels on local roads, and crews have been busy repairing culverts and some washed out roads.

In Central Frontenac a family living in a rented dwelling at the far end of Burke Settlement Road has been forced to leave because their road has been washed out twice, and is not being repaired by a contractor. Alan Kehoe reports that he was forced to leave on Tuesday, April 8, when his washed out road was so filled with water that fire crews had to come in and take his girlfriend and their newborn child out in a boat. They are now staying with family, as is his father, a dialysis patient who lives on the same property.

Alan Kehoe is not pleased with how the road issues were dealt with by the township. “At one point [public works manager] Mike Richardson told me I should park my car on the other side of the road and carry my child across. But the water was high and there was a current and it wasn't safe. Later when he was here I heard him say to one of his workers that he did not realise the water was so high.”

For his part Mike Richardson acknowledged he suggested Kehoe carry his child across. “But at that point the water was only 2 or 3 inches deep. It became a more serious situation a few days later when the water kept coming even after we had replaced culverts and even cut a hole in the road to let water run off. That's when we needed the fire crew to get them out.”

The Kehoes did return home on Saturday night (April 12), but were forced to leave again on Monday morning (April 14) after more rain came.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mike Richardson said it will be another two days, at least, before the Crains' Construction crews will have the road repair complete.

Meanwhile road crews in all local townships are busy trying to keep all the roads open and drivers are being warned to exercise caution on the roads.

Support local
independant journalism by becoming a patron of the Frontenac News.