By Chad Ingram

Published May 4 2017

Heavy rains on May 1 and 2 have led toflooding throughout Haliburton County and put many of the reservoir andflow-through lakes of the Trent Severn Waterway at or above capacity.

In the village of Haliburton a portion ofBayshore Road between Highway 118 and the Haliburton Highlands Museum waswashed away earlier this week a stream of water gushing through it.

The Municipality of Dysart et al has openedgates at Glebe Park allowing residents to access their homes by travellingthrough the park and property of Fleming College's Haliburton School of Art andDesign.

“Not an ideal situation but with some caretaken we'll get through OK and school has been very responsive and helpful”Dysart et al chief administrative officer Tamara Wilbee told the paper.

Bayshore is the only Dysart-owned road thathas been closed due to flooding so far.

A number of roads in Minden Hills have beenclosed. Portions of Soyers Lake Milburn and Devil's Lake Road were closedearly in the week but were reopened by May 4.

A portion of Bobcaygeon Road north ofMinden which experienced a culvert washout that left a gaping crevice in theroad remains closed.

Several thoroughfares in AlgonquinHighlands including but not limited to Big Hawk Lake Dawson Halls Lake OldMill and Braeloch roads have also been affected by floodwaters.

At the upper tier of Haliburton County themunicipality experienced some problems and shoulder washouts on County Roads14 11 3 21 and 2.

So far no Haliburton County roads haverequired closing.

“All things considered we are in goodshape” county roads director Craig Douglas told the paper.

Meanwhile Parks Canada is at work movingwater through the feeder system for the Trent-Severn Canal.

Reservoir lakes north of Minden havereached or exceeded capacity levels as water is retained to prevent severeflooding in the village. On Wednesday May 3 logs were pulled from dams atHawk and Kushog lakes in Algonquin Highlands and at Kennisis Percy OblongRedstone and Eagle in Dysart et al.

On May 4 outflows were increased fromHorseshoe Lake into the Gull River where water levels through the village ofMinden continue to rise. The Gull has gobbled up portions of Minden Riverwalkand as of Thursday afternoon was creeping onto Invergordon Avenue.

Water levels are expected to reach orexceed levels from last spring. As of May 4 a rainfall warning was in effectfor Haliburton County with precipitation expected to begin Thursday eveningand continue into the weekend.

Sandbags are available for Minden Hillsresidents at the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena at 55 Parkside St. and at thepublic works yard at 4564 County Road 121 near Kinmount. This is a self-serveresource and residents are reminded to bring their own shovels.

Local politicians and municipal staffcontinue to have daily conference calls with officials from the MNRF and TSW asa flood warning remains in effect for Haliburton County.