The City of North Bay is making sand and sandbags available in flood-prone areas as Lake Nipissing water levels continue to rise.
Water levels on the Mattawa River and Lake Nipissing continue to rise in response to continued snowmelt in the northern watersheds. With the addition of 30-40 millimetres of rain forecast for today and tomorrow, the flood levels on both waterbodies pose flooding threats for shoreline properties extending North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority’s Flood Warning to next Monday.
Lake Nipissing reached 196.36 meters as of yesterday and is still rising, increasing the potential for damage to shoreline properties, as well as those along the lower LaVase River, particularly should strong winds occur.
As a result, the City is taking precautionary measures for flood prevention and property protection by making sand and sandbags available for residents in low-lying areas that may be at risk.
In addition to the Public Works yard on Franklin Street, sandbag filling stations are now operating at Sunset Park at the end of Sunset Boulevard and at Champlain Park at the end of Premier Road. The stations will be open Monday to Friday, 8:00am until 8:00pm and Saturday and Sunday, 8:00am until 4:00pm.
Sand and sandbags are provided free to residents for the purpose of protecting their properties but there is a limited supply so residents are asked to please take only what they need.
The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority has indicated Lake Nipissing has been averaging a three-centimetre rise per day over the past several days and that the lake is expected to reach or exceed 196.4 meters by the end of the week.
The Conservation Authority is 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.
Those in flood-prone areas are encouraged to closely monitor conditions and take necessary actions.
