BALA -- Muskoka residents that were hopeful they would avoid another year of destructive flooding are growing concerned as water levels in some parts of the region reach dangerously high levels.
John Wright has lived in Bala Bay for more than 60 years and says the slow spring melt should have helped, but as water levels rise, he's left with questions.
"There was no real reason whatsoever for any kind of flooding here on Bala Bay, or even on Lake Muskoka, so we have to ask the question, why?"
Muskoka Lakes Mayor Phil Harding says the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has determined these are within normal operating levels.
"It's clearly indicating that the Muskoka River Water Management Plan is inappropriate and needs to be updated."
The mayor says he has been told the MNRF removed four-stop logs in the Bala Falls Dam to help control the water flow, but Harding says they need to get to the bottom of the ongoing issue.
"First and foremost is, we need to have a meeting with the minister of MNRF, would also like the Ministry of the Environment involved because when we flood, we potentially flood out septic systems, things in boat houses - gas cans of whatever end up floating down the river. That's not environmentally sound," the mayor says, adding, "We need to revise this plan, and we need to revise this plan immediately."
Residents near the lakes say it's about much more than just a few docks being submerged.
Property owner Gareth Seltzer says it also affects the ecosystem. "This is the time for turtles to lay their eggs on the shoreline. There's tons of natural shoreline in parts of this area. It's not just about people's docks. It's about a lot more."
