Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre reports low to moderate risk of flooding in most Manitoba basins in its February spring flood outlook. Spring flood risk is largely dependent on weather conditions from now until the spring melt.
At this time, the centre advises there is a moderate risk of flooding along the Red and Assiniboine rivers, and in the Interlake region along the Fisher and Icelandic rivers. The risk of spring flooding is generally low along several other rivers including the Souris, Roseau, Rat and Pembina. Water levels are expected to remain below community flood protection levels.
There is also a low risk of flooding for most other Manitoba basins including the Saskatchewan River, Whiteshell lakes area and northern Manitoba. With the exceptions of Dauphin Lake and Lake St. Martin, most Manitoba lakes, including Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba, are projected to remain within operating ranges after the spring run-off.
The Department of Infrastructure and Transportation, through a contract with Winnipeg Environmental Remediations Inc., is conducting normal spring ice-cutting and breaking work along the Red and Icelandic rivers to reduce ice-jam related flooding. Ice cutting and breaking is currently underway on the Red River north of Winnipeg and expected to be completed by March 14. Ice-cutting and breaking work on the Icelandic River is scheduled to start March 17. This work is not being undertaken this spring on the Assiniboine River, along the Portage Diversion, due to a lower risk of ice-jam related flooding.
The centre also reports that operation of the Red River Floodway is expected this spring under unfavourable future weather conditions to reduce water levels within the city of Winnipeg with some operation of the Portage Diversion also anticipated to prevent ice jamming on the Assiniboine River.
The 2023 spring flood outlook report is available at:
www.gov.mb.ca/mit/floodinfo/pdf/2023/february_2023_flood_outlook_report.pdf
The next flood outlook is anticipated to be released in late March.
