Muskoka Lakes Association

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Flooding and Management of the Muskoka River Watershed FAQ

It's been a tough spring as once again flooding has hit Muskoka hard, damaging property and affecting many of our members. The MLA has a long history of advocating for water level and water management, and our work continues to address these complex concerns, including calling on the province to update the plan governing Muskoka's watershed and providing compensation (details below). Provincial action is needed now to help prevent more damaging floods in the future. Muskoka can't afford to wait.

Q: How does this year compare to previous years?

The spring ‘freshet’ or runoff occurs annually. However, there has been flooding in each of 2013, 2016 and 2019 and now again in 2026. This year’s was particularly severe due to three heavy rainfalls over four weeks that cumulatively increased water levels by over a meter.

All three big lakes, many smaller lakes and numerous rivers in Muskoka have been impacted by flooding this year. Lake Muskoka, being the last of the three “bathtubs”, was hard hit, as was Lake Rosseau and Lake Joseph, the Muskoka River (including Bracebridge down to Lake Muskoka) and the Moon River (southwest of Bala and, in particular, the Bala Reach).

Q: What has the MLA been doing to represent its members' concerns over flooding damage to their property again this year?

A: The Muskoka Lakes Association (MLA) has been working hard on behalf of its members to share their concerns and frustrations with the appropriate levels of government.

We are committed to working with all parties on short and long-term solutions to the problem.

The MLA believes that provincial action is needed now to help prevent more damaging floods in the future.

The MLA has called on the Ontario government to move forward on its review of the Muskoka River Watershed Management Plan (MRWMP), first called for by our task force following the 2013 flood. (More below)

The MLA continues to provide members with up-to-date information during the spring runoff period in our Floor Watch bulletins to ensure residents have the latest advice, including from the province and municipal governments.

Q: What has the MLA asked the province to do to mitigate flooding?

A: While appreciating the complexity of the issues, the MLA is urging the Ontario government to examine the management of the water levels and flood mitigation strategies including working with urgency to open the Muskoka River Water Management Plan (MRWMP) and lead, financially and technically, the further evaluation and implementation of actions identified in the various studies coming out of the Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group Report https://www.ontario.ca/page/advisory-group-report-protecting-muskoka-river-watershed)

The report recommended actions around an integrated watershed management plan, flood mitigation to address spring flood risk and specific projects for enhanced watershed health.

Q: What other actions does the MLA support?

A: The MLA supports calls by the Township of Muskoka Lakes for the province to:

Host a public meeting on flood causes
Reconfirm its commitment to review and update the plan
Provide financial assistance for the remediation of flood damage
Provide monthly interim reporting on progress of the MRWMP review,
Make revisions to the plan by February, 2027.

Q: What is the Muskoka Lakes Association (MLA)'s role in managing the watershed?

A: The MLA has no role in managing the watershed. However, we represent our members interests by advocating on your behalf:

As an advocacy organization, the MLA represents over 2,200 families, and close to 3,000 supporters, representing 20,000 people.
We advocate for the preservation and enhancement of Muskoka's water quality, natural shorelines, and we support responsible development, which have important roles in water management.
Our mission is to advocate for responsible stewardship of the Muskoka Lakes which gives us a unique perspective on managing the watershed.
As the oldest lake association in Canada, dating from 1894, and one of its largest, the MLA has had a long history fighting to preserve and enhance Muskoka's environment, including its watershed, for all who enjoy the lakes.

Q: What has the MLA done in the past to respond to flooding?

Every spring MLA volunteers with deep experience in watershed issues, publish our series of "Flood Watch" bulletins informing members of the latest lake level conditions and advice from the MNRF and local municipalities. The report provides an overview of what residents should watch for and expect during the critical spring period.

After 2013's historic floods, the MLA formed a task force and advocated with the MNRF, including elected officials and staff.

The MLA was represented on the province's Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group (MWAG), launched in 2019. Its mandate was to provide advice and recommendations to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on priority issues and the types of projects that could be undertaken in the watershed. The group issued its report in June, 2020. https://www.ontario.ca/page/advisory-group-report-protecting-muskoka-river-watershed

Since that time, the MLA has repeatedly called on the province to move forward with the review of the MRWMP. In 2021, in response to the MWAG report, the Province announced an initial investment of over $4M to fund 12 projects aimed at examining existing conditions in the watershed and exploring ways to reduce the impact of flooding. In late 2024/early 2025, MNRF committed to review and potentially amend the MRWMP, in response to the report and further advocacy.

The update of the MRWMP has not been completed and the MLA continues to urge the province to act.

Read our past Press Releases on Water Levels here: https://mla.on.ca/Water-Levels and water management here https://mla.on.ca/Water-Management

Q: How is water managed in the watershed?

The Muskoka watershed is a complex system managed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) according to the Muskoka River Watershed Management Plan (MRWMP) which was implemented in 2006 after consultation with stakeholders including hydropower operators, MNR, First Nations and lake associations. Over the years watershed evolved from a method of transporting goods to its current uses including recreation, power generation and more.

Q: How does the Muskoka River Watershed Management Plan address flooding?

The origins of the Muskoka River Watershed Management Plan and the stakeholders it represents can be found in the report, "The Evolution of Water Management in the Muskoka Watershed," (link below) prepared by then MLA Environment Committee Chair Chris Cragg. As the report notes, the plan's main purpose was not flood mitigation, and there is no real option to eliminate flooding entirely, as the volume of water produced by an extreme combination of weather events exceeds the storage capacity of the entire Muskoka River watershed. However the report explains how flooding could potentially be lessened by:

Earlier and deeper lake drawdowns when heavy snow persists on the ground into spring
Structural improvement to watershed choke points to enable water to release past impediments
Improving upstream storage; and
Offsetting the timing of peak flows from the North and South Branches of the Muskoka River to reduce coincident peak flow entering the Lower Muskoka watershed.

The report notes that there could be negative impacts on other aspects of the watershed, such as fall navigation, from any of these actions. The full report is available here:

https://mla.on.ca/resources/Documents/Water%20Management/WaterMgmt-Nov2020%20(1).pdf

Q: Where can I find out more?

A: The following web sites may be of interest: