While some roads are still flooded, water levels in the north Muskoka area have started to stabilize as water flows south.
On Monday, April 20, 2026, discharge levels at the Big East River monitoring station near Huntsville had decreased to 86.4 square meters per second from 150 m²/s on Friday.
The same message was delivered at the April 20 District of Muskoka Council meeting by Commissioner of Health Services Norm Barrette.
“We are tracking river flows daily. We get a daily update from the Ministry of Natural Resources on changes in water flows from the previous 24 hours. And what I can tell you is that water from the north Muskoka River is moving downstream into the south Muskoka systems, so upstream changes are now being reflected, and further southern changes will have a short time lag,” said Barrette, adding that water is moving south, where conditions are expected to remain elevated, even as the overall watershed trends toward stabilization.
Barrette said paramedic services have been conducting “business as usual” and have been coordinating with fire departments in affected areas to ensure access to those in need. “We’ve been distributing the District sandbag allotment. We started with about 85,000 sandbags in inventory. We have made a number of distributions to area municipalities. Our current inventory is at about 50,000, and we’re anticipating the recipt of another 50,000 either today or tomorrow to replenish our inventory and on-hand supply.”
James Steele, Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works, said there is no real impact to the District road network at this point. “We did have some roads that were potentially impacted, but we quickly installed cofferdams, so barriers, to keep the river away, particularly at Fraserburg,” a road which Steele said was impacted during the 2019 flood. Steele said staff also put down a wooden platform to maintain full access.
“We have one small part of Fraserburg that is impacted now, but remains passable, he said, adding that cofferdams have also been installed all along Beaumont Drive in Bracebridge “to make sure we have access to the Kirby’s Beach Water Treatment Plant to maintain water service.”
Steele also said access has been maintained related to the Bitten Creek culvert replacement in Huntsville. “We’ve maintained access throughout the event and continue to add material there.”
He said staff is working on a solid waste debris management strategy to let people know where they can get rid of their flood-impacted material and sandbags when the event is over. Steele said staff have also sandbagged low-lying pumping stations across the District to make sure they’re not impacted by high flows.
He said District staff quickly responded to power outages in Huntsville and Lake of Bays on Sunday, “to maintain service and bring in backup generators to keep those stations operating. But overall, Mr. Chair, the response has been fairly well done, and we’re adapting to different flows as they happen.”
District Commissioner of Community and Planning Services Arfona Zwiers spoke of vulnerable populations and said staff had reached out to 22 households. She said that four households sheltered in motels through the District’s homelessness programs due to flooding, and one household in the community paramedicine program was also relocated due to flooding.
District finance staff will be tracking all costs related to the response..
For more flooding information, including road closures, visit the District website HERE
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