FREDERICTON - New Brunswick has announced a study to determine what measures can be taken to help prevent future floods in Perth-Andover, an area of the province still reeling since a river spilled its banks a month ago.

Environment Minister Bruce Fitch said Tuesday that representatives from a number of provincial and federal departments will work with the village and the Tobique First Nation to examine ways to stop flooding.

"What can we do, if anything, to the river to prevent future flooding?" Fitch said in the provincial legislature.

"What can we do to protect the village and the surrounding areas? And how can we protect individual properties in the future?"

He said the group will look for ways to reduce the risk of ice-jams and other possible measures -- including the erection of structures -- to reduce the chances of flooding.

Perth-Andover, in the northwest area of the province, suffered major flooding following an ice-jam in the St. John River on March 23.

Public Safety Minister Robert Trevors said the government has received 246 applications for disaster financial assistance, but it's not yet known how much that will cost.

The provincial government has pegged the total damage in the community at around $25 million.

The study group is to report its findings by the end of August, Fitch said.

Opposition Liberal member Rick Doucet said he's pleased the study is being done, but he's still waiting to hear what can be done to alleviate flooding concerns in Charlotte County, an area he represents.

Last April, the Progressive Conservative government announced a two-year project to develop an emergency plan after a December 2010 flood that caused millions of dollars damage in the St. George and St. Stephen areas.

Doucet said people in his area were concerned about the potential for flooding during heavy rains Monday.

"My phone started ringing in the afternoon and into the late evening, because people were wondering what's taking place," he said.

"When are the dams going to be opened up? What are the mitigation plans?"

Doucet said he thinks there should be a plan in place for the operation of dams on all rivers that have them so that people know what will happen when water levels begin to rise.

"It needs to be transparent so citizens know what's taking place," he said.