City of North Bay gives flood update

The City of North Bay is advising residents that Lake Nipissing water levels remain high and are expected to continue to rise daily over the next week.

The lake level now sits at 196.45 meters and the potential for damage to shoreline properties is increasing, particularly should strong winds occur.

Public Works Canada is slowing opening dams along the French River that control the outflow from Lake Nipissing in order to alleviate some of the pressure.

The situation is being reassessed daily through conference calls with stakeholders.

The City is mobilizing additional resources this weekend to ensure as many sandbags as required are available to residents for the purpose of protecting their properties.

Stations have been set up at Public Works on Franklin Street, Sunset Park at the end of Sunset Boulevard and Champlain Park at the end of Premier Road.

The stations are operating Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and will be open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.  Personnel is on hand to provide help with lifting and loading for those who may need assistance.

One auxiliary pump at the Wastewater Treatment Plant has been activated to help discharge fully treated wastewater into Lake Nipissing. Two other pumps are on standby if needed.

Elevated lake levels can pose operational challenges at the Plant, which typically relies on gravity flow for the discharge of treated effluent. The pumps will assist the plant in operating as it normally would when the lake gets too high and that “down-hill” flow is lost.

The North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority is also continuing to operate the Parks Creek Backflood Control Structure, which helps prevent Lake Nipissing from backing up Parks Creek, protecting approximately 350 homes from flooding.

Residents are advised to stay away from watercourses where flows are high and where banks might be unstable. Parents are encouraged to keep children and pets away from watercourses and waterbodies.

The City of North Bay will also have staff on hand at our filling stations to haul sandbags for residents without vehicles or to those with only small vehicles. Staff will not place sandbags, but will drop them in driveways.