Sandbag distribution ends; flood warning continues
The city has halted distribution of sandbags, but a flood warning remains in effect for the area after more than 107 millimetres of rain fell last week.
The city had been providing sandbags to city residents in imminent danger of flooding, but the distribution ceased at 4 p.m. Monday.
More than 60 millimetres of rain fell in Peterborough from Thursday night until Sunday, creating high water levels on the Kawartha lakes and the Otonabee River which flooded the Peterborough Marina area.
Peterborough has now had 107.3 mm of rain so far in the first week of May, more than the normal amount for the whole month of May which tends to be in the 80 to 100 mm range, and way more than the 14.7 mm of rain for all of May 2016. The May rain is on top of the 100.3 mm of April showers in Peterborough.
The soggy conditions has forced the annual Courtney Druce Memorial Golf Tournament, which had been scheduled for Saturday at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club, to be rescheduled to June 24.
A flood warning remains in effect for the Otonabee River watershed and the Kawartha lakes from the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority, with the Otonabee River continuing to rise.
Flows on the Otonabee River at Lakefield are now above 400 cubic metres per second, Otonabee Conservation reported Monday, while water levels on the river, below Lock 19 in Peterborough, rose 4 cm to 189.02 metres above sea level -and is expected to rise another 4 cm by Tuesday.
There were no changes Monday to flows into or out of Buckhorn, Chemong, Pigeon, Lower Buckhorn, Lovesick, Stoney, Clear and Katchewanooka Lakes, the bulletin states. As a result, water levels on the lakes will continue to rise over the next 24 hours at the same rate as observed during the past 24 hours, the flood warning states.
Selwyn Township is making sand available for free to township residents at the the township public works yard at 1280 Centre Line, where filling of personal sandbags is accessible at all hours.
Flood warnings are also in effect from the Trent River between Hastings and Trenton from the Lower Trent Conservation Authority and from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for the entire Bancroft District north of Peterborough. Flooding is occurring and expected to continue in low-lying areas adjacent to the Gull, Burnt, Black, York, and Madawaska River watersheds in the Bancroft district, the flood warning from the ministry states. A state of emergency was declared by Minden Hills on Saturday. The Bobcaygeon Road Bridge is closed as are several roads, according to the township. The Minden Riverwalk, Boardwalk and Rotary Park are also closed in Minden, according to the township. Crews worked Monday to dislodge two large trees from the Kinmount Dam> High water levels complicated the removal, according to the City of Kawartha Lakes, and debris collected around the trees, causing increased water levels. The municipality is advising Kinmount residents and business owners near the dam to prepare for possible flooding. The water levels are expected to recede as the trees are removed. The City of Kawartha Lakes is continuing to distribute sandbags at six locations, including the Bobcaygeon depot at 62 Duke St. and the Burnt River public works depot at 90 Kawartha Lakes Road 44.