September 16, 2005

The Pas Area

The high water advisory issued on Monday for the general vicinity of The Pas is continued. Smaller streams such as the Minago River are subsiding, but larger rivers such as the Carrot and Red Deer rivers will not crest until next week.

• Extensive flooding of agricultural lands in the Pasquia area near The Pas may continue for at least 10 days even with favourable weather.

• Water levels upstream of Bracken Dam continue to rise despite continuous pumping.

• Levels on the Carrot River are also rising, with a crest expected next week. Crests on the Carrot River are expected to be about two feet lower than those of July 2005, although areas more than 15 miles west of The Pas may see levels similar to those of July.

• Some low-lying homes in the Bracken area may be at risk and may require sandbagging. Some homes at The Pas have suffered basement flooding due to last weekend’s downpours.

• The level of the Saskatchewan River at Rall’s Island rose one-third of a foot since yesterday morning and is expected to rise another three feet or so before the crest late next week. The predicted crest of at Rall’s Island is significantly lower than the July 2005 crest and should not cause flooding. However, the high levels and strong current may pose a problem for fishers and recreation.

The flood advisory for the Churchill River continues as levels from the Saskatchewan boundary to Leaf Rapids remain at all-time highs.

•  The crest has now reached Pukatawagan but additional rises of about one foot are expected at Granville Lake and Leaf Rapids before the crest reaches these points late next week.

• Minor amounts of flow are beginning to bypass some private dikes in the Leaf Rapids area, and will require upgrading. Larger dikes protecting homes and water supply systems are holding. It appears that no buildings are threatened at this time.

• The Environment Canada forecast indicates little or no rain for northern Manitoba this weekend