Water levels to remain high, steady as significant rainfall is expected
Levels should remain high but major increases are not expected, says EMO
Water levels on the St. John River are expected to remain high as more rain fall this week.
But despite the rain, major increases in water levels are not expected, said Robert Duguay of the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization.
"At this point, the only location where the water levels are above flood stage is in the Jemseg area," he said.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting up to 35 mm of rain in most of the St. John River basin on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, the southern area can expect to see 40 to 50 mm.
Between 50 to 60 mm of rain is expected in Charlotte County, something Duguay said EMO is aware of and will be watching closely.
"We're going to watch carefully in the coming days between now and Wednesday night to see what kind of impact this level of water will have on the waterways in that area."
The only road affected by high water in the St. John River basin is in Queens County, on the road between Jemseg and what used to be the ferry to Gagetown, in Lower Jemseg.
Duguay said levels have already gone down over the last several days, so EMO is not expecting major problems.
Nonetheless, drivers are being cautioned to keep an eye out for wildlife.
Duguay said it is always hard to predict when water levels will return to normal.
As the days get warmer, more snow will melt, which will drain more water into the river, he said. But EMO is confident it will not impact water levels much.
"We feel at this point that the St. John River can handle the amount of rain coming, but we never know what things can happen," Duguay said.
"We hope for the best, we continue to watch, River Watch is still active, and we continue to watch to see if anything can happen and to take any necessary action to inform the public about it."