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Burgess Dam Situation Update
If you received a Voyent Alert! on April 20, please be assured the Burgess Dam in Bala is stable, operating as designed and remains well within manageable limits.
Evacuation is not required. Our crews are actively monitoring conditions and prepared to respond as needed.
For residents in low-lying areas downstream of the Moon River are encouraged to take standard precautions to protect their properties from flooding.
This information is intended to keep the community informed and prepared should conditions change.
For questions or concerns, please call us at 705-765-3156 or visit the link below.
Find information on current advisories, monitoring tools, sandbag locations and more.
In effect for Bracebridge-Minden-Parry Sound District until April 22, 2026.
Flooding can happen quickly and conditions can change with little warning. This page brings together information to help residents stay informed, protect their property, and find trusted resources before, during, and after a flood event.
Advisory
Flood Warning in effect (April 13-22, 2026)
Advised by the Ministry of Natural Resources
See current Roads & Service Closures
Sandbags
Self-service pickup is available at:
Bala Sports Park (3224 Muskoka Rd. 169, Bala)
Hanna Park (40 Bailey St., Port Carling)
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If you received a Voyent Alert! notice on April 20, we would like to reassure residents that evacuation is not required.
The Burgess Dam in Bala is stable and operating as designed with added barriers in place to mitigate flooding, including sandbags and an aqua dam. Our contracted engineers and Public Works teams are closely monitoring conditions and ready to respond as needed.
The alert was issued for information‑sharing purposes only, to help keep the community informed and prepared should conditions change.
We apologize for any concern this may have caused. Our goal is to keep the community informed early and appropriately prepared should conditions evolve.
For questions or concerns, please contact us at 705-765-3156.
Flood debris will not be collected at the curb. Items that don’t follow regular collection rules (i.e. bag limits and the Clear Bag Program) will not be picked up.
The District will share more information during the week of April 20, including a voucher program for debris disposal at Rosewarne Landfill, sandbag disposal options, and e-waste drop-off locations.
Waste facilities remain open, but tipping fees apply without a voucher. If possible, please hold onto debris until more details are available.
What is flood debris?
Flood debris can include items such as:
Reminders:
The Muskoka Water Web, maintained by the District of Muskoka provides public access to reliable information about watersheds, lakes, water quantity, water quality, monitoring programs, and lake data. It is a valuable resource for understanding local water conditions and tracking changes across the region. Residents are encouraged to monitor local conditions regularly and stay connected to trusted information sources during periods of high water.
To monitor local water levels, visit: Floodplain Mapping | The District Municipality of Muskoka
For more information on how water levels are managed in Muskoka Lakes as well as advocacy efforts carried out by the Township to date, visit: Water Levels: Township Advocacy | Township of Muskoka Lakes
Wells that may have been contaminated should be disinfected and tested before being placed back in service. A well should be considered contaminated any time the floodwater comes in contact with the well casing.
See Public Health Ontario for well water disinfection.
Flooded septic tank, pump chamber or saturated leaching bed
Do not pump your tank! Pumping it out could cause the tank to try to float out of the ground and may damage the inlet and outlet pipes.
The best solution is back flow protection and drastically reduce water use in the house.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit offers water testing kits for private wells. Water testing kits are available for pick up at the municipal office during regular office hours.
You must return water samples to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit during designated hours. For further information, please contact the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit at 705-721-7520. They can answer questions related to:
Learn more about what you should do before, during and after a flood, and where to get current flood information: Floods | ontario.ca
Safety instructions from the Electrical Safety Authority are available on their website if you suspect water has risen above the level of electrical outlets, baseboard heaters, furnace or is near your electrical panel. If flood waters have risen above these electrical connections, contact your local electric utility immediately and arrange for them to disconnect power to your home.
For information about Electrical Safety, please visit the Electrical Safety Authority website or contact them directly at 1-877-372-7233.
Flooding is only one type of emergency that can affect our community. Visit our Emergency Preparedness page to learn how to make a household emergency plan, build an emergency kit, and prepare for a range of emergency situations.
In times of crisis it is important that residents have access to trusted, timely and accurate information to ensure their own safety and that of their family and loved ones. In response to this need, the Muskoka Emergency Response Committee (MERC) has chosen Voyent Alert! as the communication service provider for these kinds of events.
By downloading the Voyent Alert! app and registering, residents and visitors can select to receive notifications from a wide variety of communication channels including mobile apps, text/SMS alerting, email or voice calling.
The system will also allow you to create and track multiple locations such as “Kids School”, “Work”, “Cottage” or “Mom’s House”. Any event or communication related to your tracked locations will be forwarded to you along your preferred communication channel(s). Smart alerting capabilities ensure that you will only get notified when a communication is relevant to you or one of the locations you are tracking.
To register and learn more, visit the #AlertMuskoka and Voyent Alert! webpage.
If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 immediately.
Police, Fire, or Ambulance: Call 911
Always call if someone is in danger, injured, or if you need urgent assistance.
For non-urgent situations, you can contact the following resources:
Muskoka Lakes Fire Department – for questions about fire safety, smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, or heating concerns: 705-765-3156
Township of Muskoka Lakes – for road maintenance, property access, or local service updates: 705-765-3156
Hydro One – to report a power outage: 1-800-434-1235 or visit online
211 Ontario – for community services, warming centres, and emergency shelter information: dial 2-1-1 or visit online
On April 28th, 2019 at 11:34 a.m. Mayor Phil Harding declared an Emergency for the Township of Muskoka Lakes under the Emergency Management & Civil Protection Act due to the rising water levels surrounding the area. The Township of Muskoka Lakes activated its Emergency Plan. The Emergency declaration was lifted on May 16th, 2019 as water levels were receding and recovery efforts continued.
Read the Independent Review of the 2019 Flood Events in Ontario
The water levels in Muskoka are managed through manipulation of the stop logs in the dams in order to achieve conditions in accordance with the Muskoka River Watershed Management Plan (MRWMP). The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for all operational decisions with respect to the dams.
Since the flood in 2019, the Township of Muskoka Lakes has been active in advocating for change to the MRWMP and for assistance in the development and implementation of mitigating strategies at the provincial level. Since that time the following presentations have been made to the province:
Advocacy remains one of the Townships key tools to affect change through its participation in groups such as the Muskoka Watershed Council and Muskoka River Watershed Communications Committee.
For more information on water levels and management in the Township, visit: Water Levels
Contact Us
Township of Muskoka Lakes
1 Bailey St., P.O. Box 129,
Port Carling, ON, P0B 1J0
T: 705-765-3156 F: 705-765-6755
Office Hours: 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Stay informed about Township operations, programs, emergency notices, elections and more by subscribing to our news updates.
