Boats asked to stay off Ottawa, Mattawa Rivers

The town of Mattawa, the municipality of West Nipissing and the City of Temiskaming still remain under States of Emergency due to high water levels.

Today, Provincial Police in the Mattawa area asked boaters to stay off the Ottawa and Mattawa Rivers.

A sand berm, built over the weekend on the river banks to prevent further flooding, is at risk of erosion under a boat's wake.

The agency that monitors the levels on the Ottawa River says levels peaked over the weekend, however because of more snowmelt further north the waters likely won't start to subside for another week or two.

The Municipality of West Nipissing has closed all of its municipal boat launches at the local marina, the Sturgeon River House Museum and in Lavigne.

The municipality said the measure is to prevent damage to shorelines and properties in low-lying areas.

In the Tri-town area, levels on Lake Temiskaming are expected to continue to rise over the next day.

The City of Temiskaming Shores said there is still a significant amount of ice buildup along the shoreline of the lake due to the north wind.

It has reopened one local road and a walkway but still cautions the public about getting too close to the water.