‘Recovery Mode’: Muskoka begins next steps in flood recovery as water levels lower

High waters have receded across the Muskoka region, however not all are in the clear.

While the worst seems to have past, communities up north are still dealing with the effects of this year’s flooding.

Despite Tuesday’s rainy forecast, most flooded areas in Bracebridge have dried up from what has been the worst flood season since 2019.

“The visual inspections show that we’re down considerably in terms of water levels,” said Rick Maloney, Bracebridge Mayor. ”That’s welcome relief for the folks that have been impacted.”

As snowpack and ice melt have become less of a factor, problem areas, such as River Road, have improved remarkably over the weekend.

All roads are open in the town and across the District Municipality of Muskoka.

“Now we’re starting to look at recovery mode,” said Mayor Maloney.

The town is offering multiple disposal sites for the 25,000 sandbags that were used.

The district is helping residents get rid of flood-related debris.

“You just go online and fill out a little bit of information and then you can drop off any flood-related debris for free,” said Jeff Lehman, Muskoka District Chair.

However, not all areas are out of danger yet.

John Lott and others, who live near the Bracebridge Boat Launch, still have parts of the elevated Muskoka River on their properties.

“My dock was in danger of being washed down the river, so I had to secure the dock and just hold it as best I could,” said Lott.

While Lott says his home was not hit the hardest, he has been collecting plenty of flood debris and lending a hand to his neighbours.

“My neighbours couldn’t even get to their property, so they’ve been parking in my driveway and up on the laneway,” said Lott.

Lower-level areas around Bala and Muskoka Lakes Township also continue to be impacted.

The Township of Minden Hills remains under a state of emergency.

• Minden, Ont. remains under State of Emergency as water levels fluctuate

“Further down the watershed, the longer it takes and the more severe the flooding can be, so we’ve still got people affected,” said Lehman.

The four families who initially needed to be evacuated have been able to return home.

The financial impact for the town and district is not yet known.

Like with any major weather event, the town will be holding a debrief to review its response to this year’s flooding and will be looking at impacted areas of infrastructure to assess and repair the damage that’s been caused.