CanadaOttawa River flooding a 'natural disaster' and not mismanagement, regulator says

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The Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat insists this spring's historic flooding along the waterway is a natural disaster and not mismanagement of An image of the Ottawa River near the Des Joachims dam taken on May 11, 2019. Lalonde says while water levels near the dam are low, the river itself is

Ottawa River flooding a ' natural disaster ' and not mismanagement , regulator says . A spokesperson for Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski did not explain why the task force is meeting in private, and said the public is welcome to offer input through a provincial

© Laurie Fagan CBC Ottawa Riverkeeper executive director Patrick Nadeau says while it may seem counter-intuitive, low water levels on certain stretches of the river show suggest that the dams and reservoirs are being managed properly.

Devastating flooding that's destroyed and damaged homes along a huge stretch of the Ottawa River is a "natural disaster" and not caused by hydroelectric companies mismanaging the dams, insists the agency that oversees the river.

Some 4,000 people have signed a Facebook petition calling for an "independent public inquiry" into possible dam mismanagement during the second major flood on the river in two years.

2nd flood peak expected this weekend

Just when it seemed flood-weary residents of the Ottawa-Gatineau area might catch a break, the Ottawa River is rising again and isn't expected to peak until Sunday or Monday. After reaching their initial peak more than a week ago, water levels began dropping, then rising again as rain drenched the region and reservoirs filled to the brim. Another 10 millimetres of rain is expected across the region Friday, and parts of the Outaouais could see even more: a rainfall warning is currently in effect in Maniwaki, Que. The Ottawa River is currently 1.5 to 2.5 metres above average May levels between Pembroke, Ont.

Ottawa River flooding a ' natural disaster ' and not mismanagement , regulator says . Terry Rawn is part of a group of Calgarians that have raised thousands to help those impacted by flooding in the Ottawa -Gatineau region.

The latest Ottawa River forecasts indicate water levels around the national capital will remain high and drop “slowly” over the coming days and weeks. “All flood -prone areas along the Ottawa River from Lac Coulonge down to the Montreal archipelago are at risk as spring runoff continues along the upper

In the Outaouais community of Mansfield-et-Pontefract, Que., council has passed a motion calling for an inquiry into whether reservoirs and dams along the Ottawa River are being used properly to prevent flooding.

On social media, the flash point focuses on the Ottawa River at the town of Deux Rivières, Ont., which is upstream from the Des Joachims generating dam, 200 kilometres northwest of Ottawa.

© Provided by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Ottawa River near Deux Rivieres, Ont. Critics want answers as to why the water there has been kept so low — while homes downstream in Pembroke and beyond are being flooded. © Provided by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Sue Samson's cottage at L'Isle-aux-Allumettes is only accessible by boat because the road has washed away. Two of her sheds have also floated off.

'They made mistakes'

Photos have been shared hundreds of times showing dry river banks and a seemingly low river level. The images have outraged people whose homes and cottages downstream are submerged — including Sue Samson.

Soldiers help protect Pembroke water supply from Ottawa River ahead of expected rain

Soldiers from a Canadian base in Petawawa were deployed Saturday to protect infrastructure in the nearby city of Pembroke, Ont. — one of several communities threatened by historically high water levels on the Ottawa River. Major Adam Graham said one of the first priority assignments for his unit, which numbered about 64, was protecting the water treatment plan near the river's edge. "So we've dispatched some soldiers down to that location to help conduct flood mitigation measures, such as primarily sandbagging certain elements of that facility to ensure that there's no issues with the town's water supply as a result of flooding," Graham said in a phone interv

Flood prevention. Flooding , particularly in river floodplains, is as natural as rain and has been occurring for millions of years. Famously fertile floodplains such as the Mississippi Valley, the Nile River Valley in Egypt, and the Tigris-Euphrates in the Middle East have supported agriculture for

Flooding : the new danger Areas in certain parts of the world have recently been hit by disastrous floods and others by a sequence of earthquakes. After the fear, comes the reality; tons of water spilling over the river banks, into roads, houses and over fields. People become trapped in their own

Samson owns a cottage on L'Isle-aux-Allumettes, and added her name to the petition because her dwelling is surrounded by water and only accessible by boat.

Her sister-in-law's cottage has also come loose from its supports, and one end is now tilted over into the cottage next door.

When the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board (ORRPB) explained why the water level is being kept low upstream from the dam, however, she said she didn't believe it.

"I think it's mismanagement by dam operators and the ORRPB. They made mistakes," Samson said. "They should be able to compensate for all that snow and rain."

© Provided by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Ottawa River near Deux Rivieres, Ont. Critics want answers as to why the water there has been kept so low — while homes downstream in Pembroke and beyond are being flooded.

Protecting Mattawa

Manon Lalonde, executive engineer with the Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat, acknowledged the water level is low at Deux Rivières and for many kilometres upstream, but said that's necessary to control flooding elsewhere.

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PDF | A disaster may strike any given destination without warning, this being one of the many aspects that In light of the disaster that occurred in Uttarakhand, were a cloud burst caused flash floods that swept the state pilgrims stranded or swept away due to the floods , and not to mention the damage cause to. Besides the natural disaster various other factors have contributed to the downfall of.

The Des Joachims dam, she said, is the most southern reservoir in the system and has very little capacity to store rising water thundering down from upstream.

Allowing it to fill would cause water to back up in Mattawa, Ont., where the situation is already bad, Lalonde said.

"If we raised the water level in the Des Joachims reservoir, that would increase the flooding upstream in Mattawa, which is already flooded by half a metre," she said.

"There would be such a small benefit for people downstream because it would only reduce the water level by 10 centimetres downstream — and it would only be for three days, because the reservoir would fill up again."

© Michel Aspirot/CBC Sandbags and a dirt berm protect try to block the floodwaters from spilling onto a street in Mattawa, Ont., on May 11, 2019. © Jean Delisle/CBC Manon Lalonde, executive engineer with the Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat, says her agency must do a better job of communicating how it manages the river during devastating floods — even if it's difficult to explain.

'Not a dry river'

Lalonde said photos taken at Deux-Rivières only show the wide flat river banks and that the river, which isn't visible in the photos, is flowing at a very high rate.

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"It's a perception problem, and not a technical one," she said. "It's not a dry river there."

Ottawa Riverkeeper executive director Patrick Nadeau said he agrees with that assessment.

"A lot of fingers have been pointed at dam operators, but the water coming down the river is unprecedented," he said. "They are doing what they can."

"There's no easy answer here,  It's counter-intuitive," he added. "But [what] dam managers are trying to do is balance things out with low water levels in order to try and protect upstream communities from heavy flooding."

© Michel Aspirot/CBC An image of the Ottawa River near the Des Joachims dam taken on May 11, 2019. Lalonde says while water levels near the dam are low, the river itself is still flowing very swiftly.

Communication could improve

Nadeau's group has been advocating for an Ottawa River watershed council to look at dam operations during flooding, along with climate change and land use planning along the waterway.

The council would serve as a hub for getting important information to the 200 municipalities along the waterway about their stretch of the river during spring flooding, he said.

"Communication is clearly not where it should be," Nadeau said.

Lalonde said the ORPPG is aware they have a public relations problem on their hands.

"We need to communicate in better ways with the public," she said, especially concerning the management of the Des Joachims dam.

"We need to do a lot better with videos and go out to more communities throughout the year, but it's a challenge to make it easily understandable."