By Emily Stonehouse
It’s touch and go right now, but the staff in Minden Hills are optimistic about pending flood risks. “So far, it looks okay,” said Minden Mayor Bob Carter. “But we are going to be on a flood watch for the next two weeks.”
Currently, the waters through the Gull River seem stable through the village, and water levels are managed by Parks Canada and the Ministry of Natural Resources. Staff and councillors meet with these organizations multiple times a week to monitor conditions.
In light of the ice storm that slammed Haliburton County the last weekend of March, many wash-outs have been caused not by increasing water levels, but by debris clogging up the culverts. “With all the debris from the storm, we are seeing more frequent blockages,” said Carter.
The Township noted that all municipal roadways have been cleared for vehicular traffic, though the sides of the road continue to be cluttered with fallen trees and branches. “To support Minden Hills residents in cleanup efforts after the recent ice storm, the Township is waiving disposal fees until further notice,” shared a Minden Hills press release. “Brush will be accepted at the Scotch Line Landfill only during this time.” Currently, the township has not announced an end-date for waiving these fees, and shared that they will provide ample notice when the time comes.
It was noted that a community clean-up is being developed, in an effort to remove the debris and mitigate washouts. The event is being organized by the County of Haliburton in partnership with the Township of Minden Hills. No further information is available on the date at this time, but will be made public once confirmed.
The Township of Minden Hills has decided to continue their state of emergency, which has lasted the duration of the month of April thus far. “This is due to the March ice storm as well as the weather forecast for this coming week and the continued spring freshet (snowmelt),” shared a Minden press release.
While the majority of snow has melted in the residential areas of the municipalities, there continues to be an accumulation at the top of the watershed. That melt, combined with rain levels, could result in flooding issues down the road.
“We think it will peak about two weeks from now,” said Carter. “But we are going to be on constant watch, and constant patrolling.”
If needed, sandbags and sand are available in the parking lot of the Minden Curling Club, located at 50 Prentice Street, as well as the Irondale Community Centre, located at 1004 Line Drive Road.
A reminder that all waterways are moving extremely quickly right now, and have unpredictable patterns this time of year. All residents are reminded to stay away from moving water until the levels have stabilized.
Minden Hills staff are currently working on removing all debris wherever they can. If residents see debris that needs to be removed, they are encouraged to call an after-hours number to report township road conditions, which is directed to an on-call staff member.
The number is 1-866-856-3247.
