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Water levels are gradually rising upstream from Pembroke, Ont., according to the Sunday update from the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board.Levels should remain stable or continue to decline downstream, the board says.A second peak remains possible depending on the rate of snowmelt and how much rain is in the forecast.
Water levels and flows on the Ottawa River are gradually rising northwest of Pembroke, Ont., as the snow continues melting upstream, according to the latest update from the river’s planning board.
That could mean major flood levels are hit in Mattawa, Ont., over the next few days, the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board said Sunday afternoon.
“With accelerated snowmelt expected in the northern part of the watershed, northern reservoirs are now passing increased flows downstream,” the board said.
“Water levels and flows are expected to continue increasing gradually from Mattawa to Pembroke and to be fairly stable in downstream locations over the next few days.”
The river’s levels have remained either stable or declining for several days now from Pembroke downstream, including in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.
However, the board notes it’s still “uncertain” how fast the snow in the river’s northern reaches will melt, as well as how much rain will fall in the coming weeks.
A second peak is still possible, the board said.
No weekend update in Gatineau
The City of Gatineau, which has been particularly hard hit by this spring’s flooding — the worst in the region since 2023 — did not give an update on the weekend.
But as of Friday, the city was still asking people to leave flooding protections in place in case there’s another rise.
It said that people who have registered as being affected by the flood will be getting check-in phone calls. People who want to register or get help can call 311.
The Red Cross said Friday 211 people have registered at its support centre on boulevard de la Gappe, which is now open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
The city said accommodations for people forced from their homes by flooding are being extended until Wednesday, April 29.
Finally, Gatineau sandbag station hours have been adjusted to 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.
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Gatineau, Que., Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette says water levels are improving heading into the weekend.What you need to know
In Ottawa, there were 15 locations as of early Friday afternoon where residents could pick up sand and sandbags.
The city keeps an updated list of road and pathway closures that can be found here, as well as an interactive map.
The City of Gatineau also has an interactive road closure map that also lays out sandbag stations and waste drop-off locations in the hardest-hit areas.
Several dozen roads have been affected by flooding, some of which are only accessible by boat. City officials have suggested some roads could soon be reopened to local traffic.
A flood relief centre is open at the Centre sportif de Gatineau at 850 boul. de la Gappe from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Some homes sit surrounded by water in Luskville, Que., on April 22, 2026. (Félix Desroches/CBC)
While the Ecolos ferry between Clarence-Rockland, Ont., and Thurso, Que., remains closed, partial service resumed Friday on the Bourbonnais ferry between Gatineau’s Masson-Angers area and Cumberland in east Ottawa.
Only light vehicles are permitted on that ferry for now. Heavier vehicles, such as RVs, aren’t being allowed.
People living in communities outside Ottawa-Gatineau are encouraged to check their municipality’s website for the latest on flooding in their area.
Aside from the Ottawa River, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has a flood warning in place for Dalhousie Lake and flood-prone areas of the Mississippi River.
People should take precautions like checking sump pumps and moving valuables from basements, the authority said.