Manitoba Water Stewardship

A brief report on operation of water control works will be issued on Mondays and Thursdays from now on. Flood watches and warnings will continue to be issued as required.

Eastern Manitoba:

A high water advisory remains in effect for Whiteshell Provincial Park and southern Nopiming Park where lakes remain at unusually high levels, creating problems for docks, boathouses and some low-lying cottages. Some campgrounds remain partially flooded. Lakes continue to decline slowly but levels will remain above the desirable range until mid July even with favourable weather from now on.

Logs have been removed from dams controlling levels in the Whiteshell in order to lower lake levels. Parks staff were able to remove two additional logs from White Lake yesterday. Additional logs may be pulled at Jessica Lake after White Lake has declined somewhat further. Removing logs is a difficult procedure under the present high flow conditions.

Levels on most Whiteshell area lakes south of the Winnipeg River are at record high levels for this time of year. Lakes along the Winnipeg River have risen to somewhat above average levels during the past week but remain within the desirable range. Lake Of The Woods is slowly recovering from the unusually low levels of last year.

Red River Watershed:

The Red River declined 2.1 feet at Emerson and 0.8 feet at Winnipeg during the 24 hour period ending this morning. A continued rapid decline in river levels is expected. The level in downtown Winnipeg was at 13.2 feet this morning. The normal summer level in Winnipeg is 6.4 feet. With normal weather conditions the level in Winnipeg is expected to decline to the Forks walkway level of 8.5 feet by July 13.

The rapid decline in river levels is posing a risk of bank slumping in some areas.

A flood sheet for the Red River is attached.

Assiniboine River:

Flows in the Portage Diversion continue to be reduced at a rate which is raising flows down the river at Portage la Prairie by 500 cubic feet per second (cfs) per day. Levels of the Assiniboine River from Portage la Prairie to west Winnipeg will rise several feet by next Wednesday at which time Portage Diversion flows will cease. Levels of the Assiniboine River downstream of Route 90 in Winnipeg will continue to decline despite the increase in Assiniboine River flows.

The Shellmouth Reservoir water level this morning was 1410.14 feet with a spillway flow of 1250 cfs. The reservoir inflow this morning is estimated at 1100 cfs. The reservoir level, inflow and outflow will continue to subside this week based on little precipitation.

The conduit at Shellmouth Dam was further opened to 300 cfs at 3 p.m. yesterday. Conduit flows will be adjusted as required to maintain a total outflow of 1550 to 1650 cfs, which is below the bankfull capacity of the river downstream of the dam. This should enable the reservoir water level to decline steadily. It is estimated that spillway flows will end in 2-3 weeks based on relatively dry weather.

A flood sheet for the Assiniboine River is attached.

Northwest:

Lake Winnipegosis is presently at its highest level since the mid 1950’s. No further rise is expected based on normal weather conditions. Shoreline flooding could occur in low areas if strong winds develop during the next six weeks.

Water levels remain very high in the Saskeram area west-northwest of The Pas. While no homes are flooded, there are continued difficulties with cattle due to flooded pastures.