ORCA issues Flood Warning - April 2, 2025

Message # 2025-08

Issued: 1:15 p.m., Wednesday April 02, 2025

This message is an update to the Flood Warning issued for the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW) and local watercourses on March 26, 2025. Flooding of low-lying, flood vulnerable areas along the Trent-Severn Waterway and local watercourses within the jurisdiction of Otonabee Conservation is imminent or occurring.

Issued to: Municipalities, water management authorities, Indigenous communities, Ministry of Natural Resources, and Otonabee Conservation’s other partners in flood emergency management.

Weather: Otonabee Conservation advises that 2 more rounds of precipitation are expected over the next 4 days. The first begins today and continues into Thursday, April 3. The second precipitation event is forecasted for Saturday, April 5. Today’s event will deliver 30 to 45 millimeters of precipitation, beginning this afternoon with snow and/or freezing rain that will transition to rain as temperatures rise above freezing. Rain is expected to start at approximately midnight and maybe heavy at times. When the rain stops at approximately 8 a.m. on Thursday, April 3, temperatures will rapidly rise to an expected high of 19 degrees. Above freezing temperatures will continue into next week. The second precipitation event is expected to deliver approximately 20 millimetres of rain on Saturday, April 5.

Flood Risk: Soil and remaining snow are already saturated and water levels and flows in area waterbodies and watercourses are already causing extremely hazardous conditions and localized, nuisance level flooding. The forecasted melt and precipitation will exacerbate issues on the Kawartha Lakes, Rice Lake and Otonabee River. Localized minor level flooding is possible. It is likely that the remaining ice cover along the TSW will break up because of strong winds and rising water levels, making ice pushes and ice jams possible. Local watercourses, including the Ouse River, Indian River and tributaries to the Otonabee River, will also experience increased water levels and flows, possibly leading to flooding.

Actions: Municipalities, Indigenous communities, local water managers, and Otonabee Conservation’s other partners in flood emergency management are advised to monitor conditions and take appropriate action to protect against imminent or occurring flooding. Water levels can be monitored at Trent-Severn Waterway, Water Survey of Canada and Otonabee Conservation websites.

This FLOOD WARNING message will expire Thursday, April 10, 2025, unless up-dated earlier.

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Gordon Earle | Flood Forecasting & Warning Duty Officer | 705-745-5791 x 214
250 Milroy Drive, Peterborough, ON K9H 7M9
orcafloodduty@otonabeeconservation.com

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Note: A Flood Warning is defined as a notice declaring that flooding is imminent or occurring and is issued based upon information received by the Conservation Authority's weather and water level monitoring systems and other information sources.