Rising waters overwhelm Burnt River communities as spring flooding spreads

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: Floodwaters are surging through communities across the region, leaving a trail of damage, emergency rescues, and anxious residents along the Burnt River and beyond.

In the Burnt River area, homes and cottages, particularly downstream from the village, have been inundated, as water levels continue to rise. Roads have disappeared beneath the floodwaters, while Wrex Road effectively turned into a makeshift boat launch.

Emergency crews have been actively responding. On the afternoon of Thursday, April 16th, firefighters with the City of Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service were launching boats, from Brook Road, to reach stranded residents. In one case, an elderly couple was rescued from floodwaters surrounding their home, near Basswood Drive and Autumn Lane.

Public spaces have not been spared. Centennial Park, in Burnt River, was under water, though some higher routes, including East Line Road and the 6th Concession, have remained passable.

The volume of water moving through the system is striking. Torrents were rushing through Moore’s Falls, over Elliott’s Falls, and continuing downstream through Norland, Coboconk, and Fenelon Falls. Along both the Burnt River and the Gull River, debris has become a serious concern, with docks and other large objects floating downstream.

In Norland, one dock became lodged against the dam, highlighting the dangers posed by fast-moving debris. Further upstream, in Kinmount, crews worked at the dam, using pike poles, hooks, and pole saws, in an effort to clear accumulating material and maintain water flow.

The situation has worsened across the wider watershed. In Minden, officials declared a state of emergency, on April 14th, at 2 p.m., opening the S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena and Community Centre, to shelter residents forced from flooded homes. A section of Bobcaygeon Road, near Minden, was also washed out, on April 13th, underscoring the force of the rising waters.

Throughout affected communities, residents have been working to protect their properties: filling and placing sandbags in a race against the rising water.

The widespread flooding comes just days after council heard an update on flood plain mapping along the Burnt River, from Kawartha Conservation, a study aimed at identifying high-risk areas and improving long-term planning.

That study found roughly 125 properties along the river could be vulnerable to flooding, an assessment now being borne out in real time, as the region grapples with one of its most significant flood events in recent years.