Eastern Ontario conservation authority issues flood warning

Municipal workers make their way along River Road north of Belleville, Ont. on Thursday, April 17, 2014. as the Moira River flooded. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A conservation authority in eastern Ontario has issued a flood warning for several rivers and watershed lakes expected to peak on Sunday, saying flooding is imminent or already occurring in some locations.

Quinte Conservation says water levels on the Moira River from Stoco Lake to Corbyville are continuing to rise and will be comparable to levels seen in 2017.

Persistent, steady rains soaked swaths of central and eastern Canada in the spring of 2017, causing record precipitation and widespread flooding.

Quinte Conservation says the upper Moira, Black, Skootamatta, Salmon, and Napanee rivers as well as watershed lakes have peaked or are peaking after last week's rainfall, noting no specific flood conditions are expected in Prince Edward County.

It says Stoco Lake and the Moira River in Tweed have both approached one-in-10-year flood levels, and says next week's warmer forecast will melt any remaining snowpack and may cause watercourses to rise.

The authority is advising that all remaining ice surfaces should be considered unstable, adding the public should remain cautious near bodies of water and stay away from open and fast flowing water.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2023.