The Planning Board was established to ensure integrated management of the principal reservoirs of the Ottawa River basin:
To learn more about the Planning Board, see the presentation : Flow Management in the Ottawa River Basin – 2026
Spring runoff remains very high in the northern part of the basin due to recent rain and melting snow. The Ottawa River water levels and flows continue to increase gradually in Mattawa, and more slowly in Pembroke. Elsewhere, water levels are starting to stabilize. With less rainfall received than expected in the central portion of the basin over the last few days, water levels and flows in locations downstream of Pembroke, from Lake Coulonge down to the Montreal region, are expected to stabilize over the next few days, and slowly start declining later next week. Levels are not expected to exceed the maximum values shown in the four-day forecasts on our website over the next few days. Because a large volume of water is still expected to come from northern regions, water levels are expected to remain generally high along the main stem of the river over the next two weeks. The risk of further increases in levels over the coming weeks due to high spring runoff from the northern portion of the basin is higher from Mattawa to Lake Coulonge.
See the “River Conditions Forecasts” message for the latest update on river conditions and details as to what locations may experience flooding over the next few days.
In River Conditions Forecast messages:
Read the press release >> April 13, 2026 Press Release
**** Technical note: Due to higher‑than‑normal traffic on the website—especially during the spring flood period—you may experience slower performance or see water levels and flows that are not up to date. If this happens, try clearing your browser cache, refreshing the page, or switching to the French version of the page. ***
Our website provides a map that will help you keep track of the snow cover in the watershed. The map of the snow water equivalent is available on the Current Conditions webpage (click on the “Snow Map” button at the top of the interactive map).
Snow measurements are done on a regular basis at over one hundred (100) sites across the basin. The snow map provides an overview of conditions at the time of the most recent snow measurements. It shows the amount of water held in the snow cover compared to the amount of water it normally holds at this same time of year. This amount of water is called ‘snow water equivalent’. The map covers the entire Ottawa River watershed. At a glance, it is possible to see if there was more or less snow than usual at a given time of the year.
Understanding snow water equivalent is important as it is one of the factors that contribute to shaping the magnitude and duration of a spring freshet. For more information on factors that influence a spring freshet, please see FAQ 1: FAQs – Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board
This map will be updated in early March, and every two weeks thereafter.
Bulletins posted on 2026-04-30 by Public Services and Procurement Canada
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) wishes to advise the public that as a result of significant rainfall and rapid
Press Release posted on 2026-04-13 by Ottawa River Regulating Committee
The Ottawa River Regulating Committee warns that water levels and flows along the main stem of the Ottawa River are
Bulletins posted on 2026-04-02 by Ottawa River Regulation Secretariat
The detailed four-day forecast has now begun. The Ottawa River Regulating Committee provides hydrological forecasts to the public at nine
