By Chad Ingram

Major flooding in Minden and other areas of Haliburton County seems incredibly unlikely this year, barring substantial rains.

A watershed conditions statement for the Bancroft District of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (which includes Haliburton County) in late March indicated that warm temperatures had reduced the snowpack across the region. And while that has meant seasonally normal increases in flows and levels on local waterbodies and some flooding in low-lying areas, without substantial rain, severe flooding this spring does not seem likely to occur.

“There’s no chance of flooding this year, so far, unless we get torrential rains,” Algonquin Highlands Mayor Carol Moffatt said during an April 1 council meeting.
That said, residents are still encouraged to keep an eye on water levels, and their properties.

“Residents of Bancroft District should keep a close watch on conditions, regularly check for updated messages and exercise caution near fast-moving rivers and streams,” reads a release from the MNRF. “Please alert any children or other dependents under your care to these dangers and supervise their activities. Residents who have a historic susceptibility to flooding should take appropriate precautions to protect their property, such as ensuring sump pumps are functioning and securing items that may float away as water levels rise.”

“Ice cover in the rivers and streams may breakup as a result of warm temperatures and higher flows, increasing the risk of ice jams and associated overbank flooding,” it reads.