Ottawa River reaches plateau in Ottawa-Gatineau area

The Alexandra Bridge spanning the Ottawa River between Ottawa and Gatineau on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Brad Quinn/CTV News Ottawa)

Water levels are slowly receding along the Ottawa River in the national capital region, but officials warn the river will remain “generally high” over the next two weeks.

High water levels caused by the spring snowmelt and heavy rain have flooded several roads and threatened hundreds of properties in Ottawa and Gatineau.

According to the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board, water levels dropped 13 centimetres at the Hull Marina since Friday and declined seven centimetres at Britannia.

“Water levels and flows are stabilizing from Mattawa to Pembroke and have reached a plateau downstream, from Lac Coulonge down to the Montreal Region,” the planning board said in a statement.

“Water levels and flows are expected to remain stable over the next few days and to slowly start declining later next week. Because a large volume of water is still expected to come from the northern part of the basin, water levels are expected to remain generally high along the main stem of the river over the next two weeks.”

The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board says water levels should drop 10 centimetres at Hull over the next two days and decline three to five centimetres at Britannia.

Boating on the Ottawa River

The City of Ottawa is urging boat operators to stay off the Ottawa River near areas impacted by flooding.

“Boating close to shore may cause wakes which contribute to additional damage to homes and flood barriers,” the city said on its website.

“In addition to protecting residents impacted by flooding, there is currently an added hazard to boat operators. Rivers have additional floating debris, partially submerged debris, and fast-moving waters. These hazards can place boat operators at risk and could result in emergency deployment of water rescue.”

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App