After the rains of the past few days, waterway levels are stabilizing, but the city of Magog is still on high alert, despite the fact that it is experiencing mild flooding.
As long as the water level was lower, navigation on the river was even forbidden.
Although the level of Lake Memphremagog is falling, it is still too high. The level of the lake is over 208 meters.
“At the beginning of the week we were opening our dam tanks at 120m3 per second. We are currently at 140 m3 per second,” said the City of Magog’s emergency response coordinator, Sylvain Artaud.
This technique results in the river being too high for boats to navigate.
“The river is very turbulent and we had concerns about the safety of citizens and people’s boats, so we banned maritime traffic on the river,” added Sylvain Artaud.
About fifty docks and boats were removed from the water to secure the river. The city’s quays have also been secured to ensure nothing is lost.
The beaches are closed as the water has completely swallowed them. Boat departures are also prohibited.
“We recommend citizens not to sail on the lake to minimize wave action. Since the water is high, it can damage the citizens’ shores. So we are making people aware not to walk on the lake this weekend,” said the Magog City Emergency Response Coordinator.
However, the Escapades Memphrémagog will continue their activities over the weekend. The Grand Cru will still adjust its navigation.
“We are sailing more towards the middle of the lake and are sailing more slowly. As a result, the waves are significantly reduced. When they arrive at the shore of the lake, they are almost non-existent,” said PAL+ Deputy Director General Élyse Lespérance.
As for the activities planned for this weekend, the open water swimming competition is still taking place and the Trimemphré will adjust its swimming event.
Fortunately, the authorities assume that the favorable weather forecasts will lead to a drop in the lake level. Meanwhile, minor flooding is still happening in Magog. Patrol officers from the Régie de Police Memphrémagog will alert boaters to the situation over the weekend.