The Ministry of Natural Resources– Pembroke District is advising area residents that a Flood Warning remains in effect for areas along the Ottawa River most noticeably from Pembroke to Arnprior until Wednesday, April 22, 2026 (if not updated/replaced)
Recent rainfall combined with warm temperatures has resulted in the melting of the snowpack and lake ice. This combined with forecasted precipitation and continued warm temperatures, will result in high water conditions as the freshet runoff moves through the system. This combined effect is causing the water levels and flows of the Ottawa River to rise significantly and may continue to exceed flood levels in flood prone locations
throughout the weekend and into next week. Water levels and flows upstream of Pembroke are expected to rise but remain below flood threshold levels at this time.
Residents that have been affected by high water and flow conditions in the past, should take necessary action to protect/secure any vulnerable property in proximity to rivers and lakes and closely monitor developing conditions and regularly check for updated messages.
The ministry is closely monitoring the weather and developing watershed conditions, further updates will be issued as appropriate.
Description of Weather System
A low-pressure system is forecast to move across the province over the weekend. 15 to 20 mm of widespread rainfall is forecast for the southern region of the province.
Daytime temperatures are consistently between 5 to 20 degrees. A cold front is expected to follow the low pressure system, bringing colder temperatures Sunday and into the beginning of the week.
The MNR continues to closely monitor local lakes, rivers and weather conditions.
Levels and flows on the Ottawa River from Pembroke to Arnprior are expected to increase due to spring runoff from the central and northern parts of the basin, the recent precipitation, as well as the forecasted precipitation over the next few days. The snowpack melt in the northern part of the basin is expected to continue over the next week.
Flooding in low-lying areas is expected, and those areas currently experiencing high water levels or flooding can expect these conditions to continue. A close watch of local weather forecasts, special weather statements, and warnings is recommended
The Watershed Condition Statement – Flood Outlook for the remainder of Renfrew County remains in effect until April 22, 2026.
Aaron Foss, Pembroke District Office, 613-291-3613
PembrokeDistrict-FloodWarning-2026-04-17-en
PembrokeDistrict-FloodWarning-2026-04-17-fr
Pembroke-WatershedConditionStatement-FloodOutlook-2026-04-17-en
Pembroke-WatershedConditionStatement-FloodOutlook-2026-04-17-fr
