It’s an annual ritual Ronn and Kathy Frank are getting tired of: filling sandbags to protect their property.
They were back at it Thursday as the Severn River swelled.
“We didn’t think we were going to get it this year,” Ronn Frank said in the driveway of his Peninsula Point Road home in Severn Township, near the south end of Sparrow Lake.
It came as a surprise to Frank because there has been only one day of rain, leading him to believe the problem is “man-made.”
“Every year, this happens. When are they going to fix it?” he wondered.
While his wife was filling sandbags for their property, Frank was putting them in place for his neighbours, who are away.
Frank believes water-flow control at Trent-Severn Waterway locks is the problem, noting the access panels at Couchiching Lock 42 are open, feeding water into the Severn River.
“I’m retired now, but I will take on the job,” he said of controlling the flow.
As of Thursday afternoon, the township had made sand and bags available at Canal Road and Cambrian Road, Peninsula Point Road and Bennett Avenue, and Washago Park.
Officials are monitoring water levels but “aren’t really concerned as of yet,” said Fire Chief Tim Cranney.
“It’s nowhere near the levels we had last year.”
Cranney said the recent snow melt, in addition to Wednesday’s rain and runoff from the Black River, has led to the rising water in the Severn River.
“If we hadn’t have got that rain we got (Wednesday), I don’t think it would be like this,” he said.
He advises residents to keep an eye on the levels, protect their properties and take precautions near the fast-flowing river.
“We want people to stay away from the water’s edge and monitor their properties,” he said.
The Black River is “quite high,” but there is no localized flooding yet in Ramara Township, said its deputy fire chief, Tony Stong.
Officials in Ramara are also keeping an eye on Lake St. John.
“Right now, we’ve got about just over a foot before it tops the Lake St. John dam,” Stong said, but added there is “no immediate threat” to residents near the lake.
“As long as the water can keep flowing, we’re OK,” he said, noting the Talbot River has also “considerably” risen. “We’re hoping to get by this year without any flooding, but we are at that threshold.”
The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority updated its flood outlook Wednesday.
“The water level in Lake Simcoe is now approximately 15 centimetres higher than the normal level for this time of year and is trending upwards. If levels continue to rise, there may be additional flooding of low-lying lands adjacent to the lake,” it stated on its website. “Due to the melting snow and possible rain, combined with partially frozen ground conditions, it is anticipated that the already higher than normal water levels will continue to rise. As lake levels rise, the remaining ice on the lake may pose additional threats to shoreline areas and adjacent structures, particularly if combined with strong winds.”