People living near parts of Ontario's Grand River watershed are on flood watch after weekend rains led to projections of high flows in the Grand, Conestogo and Speed Rivers for the coming week.
Flooding is expected to continue in the Grand River in the Waterloo Region on Monday after parts of the watershed received 15 to 20 mm of rain late Sunday afternoon, said the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA).
The rain has caused additional inflows into the Shand and Conestogo Dams, forcing discharge to be increased in both facilities early Monday.
CTV cameraman Dan Lauckner caught some stunning photos of high flows in the Grand River that remind us of what Alberta looked like amid the flooding it experienced last year.
Twitter user Derek Strub also caught striking photos of the river from Friday through Monday:
Light rain has been forecast for Monday and temperatures are expected to cool down in the afternoon and into the evening. The precipitation will turn to freezing rain and snow by midnight, said the GRCA.
Nearby residents are being advised to keep their children and pets away from the rivers as fast-moving waters can pose a serious safety hazard.
Flood control reservoirs in the northern Grand River watershed are at their maximum capacity and dam operators will spend the next several days draining water to make room for more rains and snow melt, The Waterloo Record reported.
Even so, river levels are expected to remain high for much of the week, but Grand River levels could stabilize downstream of the Shand Dam and in the northern Waterloo Region.
The river will rise slightly south of St. Jacobs before stabilizing on Tuesday, as it must swallow water from the Conestogo and Speed Rivers before it flows through Kitchener and Cambridge en route to Lake Erie, said the newspaper.
The following flood actions are in effect, according to the GRCA:
- Police and flood coordinators in West Montrose are asked to maintain flood warnings
- Police and flood coordinators in the City of Cambridge have been asked to watch Water Street (Highway 24) south of Concession Street; it may flood early this evening and officials should be ready to close the road
- Gilkison Street in Brantford should remain closed
- Coordinators in Brant County and Six Nations have been asked to close Six Nations 4th Line and Bateman Line
- The flood coordinator in Woolwich Township has been asked to maintain closure of the low level bridge on Three Bridges Road and the Glasgow Street bridge
- The City of Cambridge has been asked to maintain the closure of Black Bridge and the walking trail under Highway 401 until further notice
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