Manitoba Water Stewardship

Levels of the Red River rose 0.5 to 1.0 feet at most rural points in the 24 hour period ending this morning. The daily rises continue to decline due to increased flood storage as the river begins to widen. The crest is presently at Drayton North Dakota and is expected at Emerson April 14 and at Winnipeg April 20.

The Red River level in downtown Winnipeg this morning was 18.3 feet, about two feet below the crest of April 7. Levels in the City will be quite steady for the next few days and will then begin to rise slowly until the next crest on April 20. A second crest of 19.5 feet is expected in Winnipeg on April 20 based on favourable weather. Since this crest is lower than that of 20.35 feet on April 7, no significant difficulties are anticipated. This crest could be somewhat higher if rainfall on the Easter weekend exceeds 20 mm.

Little rain is expected in the Red River Valley this week. However weather forecasts indicate that rain may develop near Easter Sunday. The weather forecast calls for 25-35 mm of rain in the Riding Mountain and Dauphin area tomorrow through Wednesday.

The flow in the Red River Floodway this morning was 25,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) while the flow upstream of the Floodway Inlet was 67,400 cfs.

Predicted crests for the Red River have been reduced by half a foot from St. Adolphe to the Floodway Inlet where they should be slightly lower than during the 1996 flood. Crests from Emerson to Morris will be very similar to those of 1996 if there is little rainfall. Dike closures have been made at St. Adolphe, Emerson and Morris. PTH 75 is now closed to traffic at Morris since the water now covers the highway just north of the town. The Red River continues to widen at points from Emerson to Morris and will reach a width of about 15 km at the time of the crest, which is expected at Emerson on April 14 and at the Floodway Inlet on April 20.

Minor flooding may occur in the Breezy Point area for the next few weeks, but otherwise flooding is not expected north of Winnipeg

Levels of the Assiniboine River from Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg are on the rise due to ice flows at Portage La Prairie late last Saturday. Flooding is not anticipated however. Flows at Portage La Prairie are now subsiding quite rapidly. The inflow to Portage Reservoir this morning was 17,800 cfs of which 12,700 cfs was being diverted to Lake Manitoba

Minor flooding may occur on the Assiniboine River in the Virden to Brandon area this week. Water levels in the Shellmouth Reservoir are rising and should reach a desirable level by early May.

Minor flooding of farmlands in the Souris River valley from Coulter to Melita will continue for two to three weeks. The river crested yesterday at Melita and little further rise is expected at downstream points.

The Pembina River continues to rise at points downstream of Rock Lake. Flooding of valley lands from Rock Lake to Swan Lake will continue for the next two to three weeks. Flooding of valley lands from Swan Lake to La Riviere and Windygates is expected this week with peak levels similar to those of last summer. No buildings are threatened. There is a possibility that water may overflow from the Neche area toward Gretna sometime this week. This situation is being monitored and a dike closure will occur if necessary.

Flooding on smaller watersheds in the Red River Valley is subsiding except in the northern Morris River and in the headwaters of the La Salle River where minor additional rises may occur.

Runoff is underway in the Interlake and Westlake areas but flooding is relatively minor due to the gradual melt in these areas. Flooding on the Fisher River is similar to that of 2005 and should present only minor problems. Low-lying homes at Peguis Reserve have been diked to prevent flooding.

The Whitemud River watershed is experiencing flooding of low-lying agricultural lands as recent mild weather has accelerated runoff. However towns and homes are not threatened. Crests are expected this week in most areas except the big Grass Marsh which should crest after Easter.

Runoff is now getting underway in areas from the Riding Mountain to The Pas due to recent mile weather. Flooding could develop in this region later this week, especially if the rainfall predicted for the next few days falls as expected. Flooding of towns or individual homes is not expected in this region unless ice jams develop. Diking is underway on the Carrot River at The Pas to guard against high predicted levels on the Easter weekend.

Hydrologic Forecast Centre,
Water Branch,
Manitoba Water Stewardship

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Water Information

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