Christopher O'Mara spends some time with his dog Howie at Prettypaws Pet Boutique in Haliburton on June 22 2016. O'Mara says he's not letting recent vandalism on his store interfere with his love of his job and the clients he serves. JENN WATT Staff By Chad Ingram
Published May 4 2017
Heavy rains on May 1 and 2 have led toflooding throughout Haliburton County and put many of the reservoirand flow-through lakes of the Trent Severn Waterway at or abovecapacity.
In the village of Haliburton a portionof Bayshore Road between Highway 118 and the Haliburton HighlandsMuseum was washed away earlier this week a stream of water gushingthrough it.
The Municipality of Dysart et al hasopened gates at Glebe Park allowing residents to access their homesby travelling through the park and property of Fleming College'sHaliburton School of Art and Design.
“Not an ideal situation but withsome care taken we'll get through OK and school has been veryresponsive and helpful” Dysart et al chief administrative officerTamara Wilbee told the paper.
Bayshore is the only Dysart-owned roadthat has been closed due to flooding so far.
A number of roads in Minden Hills havebeen closed. Portions of Soyers Lake Milburn and Devil's Lake Roadwere closed early in the week but were reopened by May 4.
A portion of Bobcaygeon Road north ofMinden which experienced a culvert washout that left a gapingcrevice in the road remains closed.
Several thoroughfares in AlgonquinHighlands including but not limited to Big Hawk Lake Dawson HallsLake Old Mill and Braeloch roads have also been affected byfloodwaters.
At the upper tier of Haliburton Countythe municipality experienced some problems and shoulder washouts onCounty Roads 14 11 3 21 and 2.
So far no Haliburton County roads haverequired closing.
“All things considered we are ingood shape” county roads director Craig Douglas told the paper.
Meanwhile Parks Canada is at workmoving water through the feeder system for the Trent-Severn Canal.
Reservoir lakes north of Minden havereached or exceeded capacity levels as water is retained to preventsevere flooding in the village. On Wednesday May 3 logs were pulledfrom dams at Hawk and Kushog lakes in Algonquin Highlands and atKennisis Percy Oblong Redstone and Eagle in Dysart et al.
On May 4 outflows were increased fromHorseshoe Lake into the Gull River where water levels through thevillage of Minden continue to rise. The Gull has gobbled up portionsof Minden Riverwalk and as of Thursday afternoon was creeping ontoInvergordon Avenue.
Water levels are expected to reach orexceed levels from last spring. As of May 4 a rainfall warning wasin effect for Haliburton County with precipitation expected to beginThursday evening and continue into the weekend.
Sandbags are available for Minden Hillsresidents at the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena at 55 Parkside Dr. andat the public works yard at 4564 County Road 121 near Kinmount. Thisis a self-serve resource and residents are reminded to bring theirown shovels.
Local politicians and municipal staffcontinue to have daily conference calls with officials from the MNRFand TSW as a flood warning remains in effect for Haliburton County.
