1000 Islands, Rideau Waterway, Ottawa River, and St. Lawrence River conditions

Mischief Managed

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I'm planning to spend 16 days cruising the above mentioned waters starting on July 8. I'm concerned about the record high water levels I've read about this Spring. Is the boating OK now?
 

Bondo

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Nope,.... Not yet,.... They're claimin' my ground floor might dry out in the next 6 to 8 weeks,....

It's ankle to mid-calf deep in my sunroom right now, still, since April,...
 

briangcc

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Still high and Boldt Castle docks are under water - they built extensions on top of the docks. Latest pics I've seen show you can drive a small boat up to their ticket booth. Still record flooding elsewhere as well.

I'll be up at Kring Point State Park soon and can report back what I find.

**parts of Lake Ontario are no wake 500 ft from shore do to the flooding.
 

Bondo

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**parts of Lake Ontario are no wake 500 ft from shore do to the flooding.

Ayuh,.... King Cuomo increased that to 600' by decree a couple of weeks ago,....
 

briangcc

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Boat Launch at Kring Point is closed per their website. Scuttlebutt I've heard is that they're still launching but campers have to find a place to beach it or pull it when done. Not sure I would want to anyways as I don't need to put scratches in the boat due to a sunken dock. Further down, Grass Point is stating the launch is partially open, weather dependent, but no dockage. Can't find anything on Keewaydin or Jacques Cartier. From all appearances I'm going to be off the river and heading to Black Lake.
 

Mischief Managed

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That really sucks. Postponing the trip until August and hoping for lower water then... Thanks for the responses.
 

briangcc

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For property owners and businesses let's hope so but that tune has been sung a lot recently. In April, when this started, the experts claimed water levels would return to normal around Memorial Day. In May, they claimed June/July. Last prediction I've heard was somewhere mid-August.
 

Bondo

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For property owners and businesses let's hope so but that tune has been sung a lot recently. In April, when this started, the experts claimed water levels would return to normal around Memorial Day. In May, they claimed June/July. Last prediction I've heard was somewhere mid-August.

Ayuh,.... I've still got ankle deep water on my ground floor,....

I can now see the dock cleats, but they're still underwater,....
 

Flying Sushi

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Our dock and boat house is still under the water.... Other issue is a lot of things are floating on water and you will need to be very careful... I hope it will go down soon..

 

briangcc

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Just got back from my trip and I gotta say...it's getting worse. Water got higher while I was there from Sunday through Friday. It was a rain fest. And I'm not talking a light shower that lasted a few minutes. This was a deluge for hours on end with thunder, lightning, and an occasional warning from NOAA about small craft, hail, and shelter inside. Here's the boat launch 300ft from my camp site that I couldn't use as it was CLOSED:



​Closeup that includes a water snake:






​Only saw a few boats out on the river and most, not all, were obeying the 5mph/600ft restriction. Some however didn't get the memo. Big signs in Ogdensburg (sp?) stating 5mph/600ft.

​Boat launch in Goose Bay was almost under water as well. It's concrete so raising it would require building on top.


​I'll be up in the area again towards the end of the month/beginning of August and can report back again. Realistically with the weather going on up there and back home in Western NY, everyone will be incredibly lucky if the water recedes by end of August/early September.
 

Old Ironmaker

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We are in the western Lake Ontario and east Lake Erie watershed. Water levels are ridiculous and it doesn't look like it will be going down this year. Boating on the Grand River is dangerous as the debris along the river is ridiculous as well as the Erie shoreline. Nothing to see a dock pop up from a sandbar out of nowhere or an unmanned boat float by on the lakeshore. Around where we live on Erie's north shore it rained something like 26 out of 30 days in June and I'm not talking a nice shower, micro bursts several times a day. We once had a beach, now the water is 3 feet up the break wall. I heard that if they lower Lake O 1/4" Montreal would be under 3 feet of water. Same if they lowered Erie into Lake O. I have lived in the Niagara Peninsula for 62 years and have never seen anything like this.
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,.... Still ankle deep water on my ground floor of the river house,....

I occasionally see my dock cleats pokin' outa the water,...
 

Koji Kubota

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Not a great situation... 5mph with in 600feet rule is not fun at all... There are 3 police and Coast Guard boat out in the front of out house in Alex Bay and they are puling over boats left and right...... My neighbor went out for a wake boarding session yesterday morning and got a $250 ticket..... The water level need to go down soon...
 

briangcc

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Good to hear the police are taking action as I cringed when I heard boats tearing up the river and bays. Beyond the damage to homes like Bondo's, the shoals that are normally visible are now just below the surface waiting for an unsuspecting boater. My wife was trying to get me on the river and I balked at it for those very reasons.

Stay safe everyone and hopefully some relief comes...although there's rain in the forecast for the next 3 days here.
 

greekfreek

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I'm heading up there, Clayton/Alexbay area last week in July. Many underwater docks have blue water filled barrels to keep in place. Many homeowners and businesses affected..Shoals normally above water are hidden., debris in the water...need to be extra careful this year.. 5mph, 600 feet from shore that is most the that area. It'll be a slow trips trips on the river. IMO it'll be months to recede to semi-normal level..
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,.... Read yesterday that the lake is down, 4.5" since it peaked, almost 2 months ago,....

I think 'ell is gonna freeze over, before this water goes down another foot,....
 

Mischief Managed

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I have been checking levels now and then and they seem to be dropping rapidly all of a sudden. Any good news?
 

greekfreek

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Well according to authorities & locals it's gone down almost 8 inches since the peak height. All the rain and flooding is not helping the problem.
 

briangcc

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You're referring to the 6.6" that fell in 10 hours up there a day or two ago? And more rain in the forecast?

Yep not helping things in the least as its been wet upstream (Lake Ontario) too.
 
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