Ottawa River water levels continue to fall

After weeks of dealing with high water levels, it looks like the tide is turning and water levels are now in decline.

The latest numbers from the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board show levels along most of the river finally declining and other parts stabilizing.

Britannia in westOttawa has reached its peak, just 10 centimetres below where it was at an earlier peak this spring.

The board said levels should continue to drop over the coming weeks, but have cautioned the decline will be slow.

By the numbers

In their announcement Monday at 5 p.m., the board said water levels in Pembroke were at 113.59 metres above sea level. They have fallen 12 centimetres since they peaked on Saturday.

Lac Coulonge is at 109.13 metres, down four centimetres from its peak level.

Arnprior, Ont., is at 76.16 metres and has fallen three centimetres over the last day.

Britannia in west Ottawa is at 60.6 metres. It is not expected to rise any further and should start to drop in the next few days.

The Hull Marina in Gatineau is at 44.94 metres and is now expected to see water levels move down.

Thurso,Que., is at 43.39 metres and the board believes it will rise by another centimetre before starting to decline.

And Hawkesbury, Ont., is at 42.52 metres, which is 30 centimetres higher than the previous record set in 1951. Levels there are expected to climb another three centimetres, but should then start to recede.

The next update is expected at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

All forecasts are approximate and subject to change based on the weather and other factors.

All records are based on data from the planning board, which goes back as far as the 1930s in some areas.