April 23, 2004

Manitoba Water Stewardship has released a report that updates information to help guide effective operations of the Red River Floodway.

The report, entitled “Re-Computation of Natural Water Levels at the Floodway Inlet”, was prepared in response to recommendations from the Manitoba Water Commission (June 1998) and the Floodway Operation Review Committee (December 1999). Both bodies recommended that procedures for determining natural levels at the floodway inlet be re-computed.

The study was conducted by Acres Manitoba Limited, under the direction of a steering committee with representation from the governments of Canada and Manitoba, the three rural municipalities south of Winnipeg, the City of Winnipeg, the Town of Selkirk and the University of Manitoba.

The operating rules for the Red River Floodway require that, for all but very large floods, the gates be operated so that levels south (upstream) of the control structure remain at or below the level that would have occurred in the absence of flood control works—the state of nature.

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