Black River/Green Lake: Impassable!

Impassable roads; significant flooding

The chemin Rivière Noire/Black River Road located north of Highway 148, east of Waltham is flooded at kilometre 17.5.

The bridge opposite the Black River Inn (at kilometre 18.5) was closed by the Municipality of Waltham on January 31, with concerns the ice and river levels may push it off its piers. So far as I know, the bridge platform remains okay, but the bridge itself is deemed unsafe.

Also, riverwater flooded the road at the bridge in front of the Inn...  so the Black River Road remains impassable with water and ice to a depth of 5 or so inches (again, as of 31 January).

The Green Lake Road/chemin Lac Vert is also blocked. Moreover — and for the first time in anyone’s memory — Lac Vert’s water level rose 13 feet. However, as of today, the lake’s floodwaters have gone down 5 inches, to 9.5 feet above normal. Eric and I wonder how our beach barbecue has survived -- built by Bob and Dorothy Fletcher, it has great sentimental value to our family.

March 2013 image of ice jams on Black River. This year,
water floods the road and ice makes it totally impassable
at km 17.5.  Photo: Eric Fletcher 2013

Last year in March 2013, Eric and I took photographs of the ice jam on the river. At that time, as this photograph depicts, the Green Lake Road was not affected. (This photograph was taken beyond the Black River Road, which becomes the Green Lake Road at the bridge beside the Inn).

I will post pictures of this year’s flood when/if I receive permission to do so.