Due to the current high water levels, North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority is extending the Flood Watch that was issued on Friday for the entire North Bay-Mattawa area.
“We were fortunate on the weekend that the rainfall was on the lower end of what was expected; however water courses are still high, the storage capacity is limited and there is flooding in some low-lying areas throughout the watershed,” said Katelyn Lynch, NBMCA Duty Officer.
Some water courses such as the La Vase River and Wasi River have peaked and are receding.
The Ottawa River at Mattawa has caused backwater flooding on the Mattawa River, however it has also reached its peak and is expected to continue to decrease.
Lake Nipissing, however, is currently at a level of 196.13m which is 18cm above the maximum operating level. With last weekend’s rainfall continuing to make its way from the far reaches of the watershed to Lake Nipissing and more rain in the forecast for next weekend, there is still a potential risk of Lake Nipissing reaching flood level of 196.22 by next week.
“There is currently 10 to 15mm of precipitation forecast for this coming weekend, however there is some uncertainty about the location and amount of precipitation that the North Bay-Mattawa area will receive. We’re continuing to monitor the weather forecast and water levels,” added Lynch.
Parks Creek levels in North Bay are also trending downward; however NBMCA is prepared to operate the Parks Creek backflood control structure on Lakeshore Drive if Lake Nipissing levels increase to the level that could impact properties upstream on the creek.
Stop logs have been placed in the outer bays, but the central bay is still open and water is flowing into the lake.
