The Shellmouth Reservoir water level was virtually unchanged from that of yesterday and stood at 1410.30 feet this morning under fairly strong northeast winds.

The reservoir inflow had risen to 2220 cfs this morning and is expected to crest at 2350 cfs this weekend based on little additional rainfall. Flows continue to rise on the Whitesand River at Canora SK and on the Assiniboine River at Kamsack while levels are falling slowly at Sturgis SK. The Shell River is presently at its crest near Inglis.

The total reservoir outflow was 1700 cfs at 10:00 a.m. this morning of which 250 cfs was going through the controlled conduit. The conduit flow was reduced from 300 cfs due to strong northeast winds. Conduit flows will continue to be adjusted as required to account for changes in wind and inflows. If precipitation during the next few weeks is somewhat below average it should be possible to keep total outflows from exceeding 1750 cfs. Reservoir water levels would begin to subside by about June 5.

Saskeram Area:

Serious flooding has developed in the Saskeram area between the Carrot River and the Saskatchewan River in Manitoba west of The Pas. Ducks Unlimited reports that the flooding is the worst seen in the last 25 years. Water levels in portions northwest of The Pas have flooded farmer's fields and are making it difficult for cattle to find dry ground or sufficient pasture. Water is getting quite close to some buildings in the Birch River area. It appears that the flooding in the Saskeram is largely due to overflows of the Carrot River near the Manitoba-Saskatchewan boundary during the first two weeks of May. A significant breach in the river bank was noted just west of the boundary at a location which had been repaired in 2006. The large volumes of overflow appear to have been slowly moving eastward in recent weeks, filling swamps and small lakes in their path. The flows reached areas near The Pas last weekend, causing significant rises and flooding. Ducks Unlimited have opened Bracken Dam in order to allow water to drain in the Saskatchewan River, but it appears that this will be a slow process due to the large amounts of water presently stored in the Saskeram area. Water levels in the Birch River area have continued to rise in recent days.

Bracken Dam on the Birch River normally prevents high Carrot river flows from backing up into the Saskeram area. When the Carrot River has declined sufficiently the dam can be opened to allow water to drain from the Saskeram into the Carrot River. At the present time the Carrot River is low enough to permit fairly efficient drainage from the Saskeram.

A meeting between officials of the R. M of Kelsey and representatives from MAFRI, Ducks Unlimited and Crown Lands is scheduled for tomorrow to discuss a strategy to deal with flooding in the Saskeram. This will be followed by a meeting with Minister Lathlin.