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River Watch 2021 ends

On behalf of the Department of Justice and Public Safety 

Link to news release

Justice and Public Safety

19 April 2021

FREDERICTON (GNB) – After almost six weeks in operation, the River Watch Program for the 2021 freshet season ends today.

Water levels in all areas along the Saint John River basin continue to decrease and are returning to normal levels.

“We were fortunate to see a minor flood impact this year. But even in years like this, the River Watch team is hard at work and I would like to thank all our partners for their efforts,” said Justice and Public Safety Minister Hugh J. Flemming.

The program started March 10 and provided information on the status of rivers and the potential for ice jams and other flood issues throughout the duration of the ice-out and spring freshet season. This information enabled officials and the public to take the necessary steps to keep themselves and their property safe.

The program is a joint effort between the Department of Environment and Local Government, NB Power and the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (NBEMO) of the Department of Justice and Public Safety. Other partners include Environment and Climate Change Canada, watershed groups, and federal, provincial and state agencies involved in monitoring and forecasting the water flows in the province’s rivers and streams.

“The Hydrology Centre at the Department of Environment and Local Government worked with our key partners over the course of several weeks to collect data and establish river modeling for the River Watch program,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Gary Crossman. “We are pleased that this partnership allowed us to provide vital information to the residents of New Brunswick.”

Over the past weeks, the River Watch 2021 team published public advisories, conducted interviews with provincial media, and kept people informed through Facebook and Twitter.

“The spring freshet is over, but we should keep in mind that disaster can strike at any time of year and every household should have an emergency plan and a 72-hour preparedness kit,” said Stacey Cooling, acting director of NBEMO.