A flood warning first issued one week earlier in parts of the Grand River watershed was extended yet again on Friday.
The Grand River Conservation Authority’s warning covered the lower part of the Grand – everything in Cambridge and points downstream – as well as the Eramosa River through Puslinch Township and the Conestogo River in the St. Jacobs area.
The GRCA said water levels had stabilized across the watershed and were starting to recede in its northern areas.
Ice jams had been the biggest culprit behind this week’s flooding. One large jam in Cambridge released early Wednesday morning, sending large chunks of ice onto Highway 24 and causing massive flooding in Brantford which prompted a state of emergency.
Two ice jams remained in place in the Eramosa River, at Cooks Mill Road east of Guelph and Indian Trail near Eden Mills. The GRCA warned that the impacts of those jams being dislodged was unpredictable, and could affect properties near the river in Puslinch Township.
Ice was also present in the river south of Brantford, near Oxbow Road. The GRCA said the ice could move downstream and should be watched closely by local authorities.
River flows were expected to remain high across the Grand watershed into next week, in part because reservoirs used to limit water levels earlier in the week would discharge much of their holdings.
A section of Three Bridges Road near St. Jacobs remained closed due to high water levels, as was Blackbridge Road in Cambridge.
A new road closure issued Friday was for Oxford-Waterloo Road near the community of Haysville. Officials in Wilmot Township said flooding had left a significant amount of debris on the road, washing out several portions of it and damaging a bridge. The township said the road would likely remain closed between Tye Road and the Nith River for at least a month.
