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Province of Manitoba » Water Stewardship » Water Information » Flood Forecasting Reports »
Flood Report for Southern Manitoba - April 27, 2006
Water Information
FLOOD UPDATE FOR MANITOBA
April
27, 2006.
Red Deer Lake
Crest
Upper
Assiniboine Rising
Flood sheets
showing present conditions and an updated forecast for:
Red River,
Pembina River,
Assiniboine River and
Swan River - The
Pas Area are attached.
Weather
Red River
-
Levels of the Red River
declined between 0.3 and 0.5 feet in most rural areas during the 24 hour
period ending this morning. The total decline since the crest ranges from four
feet at Emerson to about two feet at the Floodway inlet. Levels will continue
to decline a little faster day by day based on continued dry weather.
-
As a result of dry weather
for the past 10 days PTH 75 north of Morris is now expected to be free of
water by this Saturday. However, the highway may not re-open immediately
pending a safety inspection by provincial transportation officials.
-
The Red River level in
downtown Winnipeg this morning was 17.78 feet, a decline of close to one-tenth
of a foot since yesterday and a decline of about 2.5 feet since the crest of
April 7. Levels in the city will continue to decline very slowly based on
favourable weather. The natural level in downtown Winnipeg without operation
of flood control works would have been 25.8 feet.
-
The flow in the Red River
Floodway this morning was 26,090 cubic feet per second (cfs) while the flow
upstream of the floodway inlet was 73,150 cfs. The peak floodway flow in 1997
was 66,000 cfs.
Assiniboine River
-
The Assiniboine River is
still within its banks from Oak Lake to Winnipeg due to operation of flood
control works. Extensive flooding of valley lands continues from Shellmouth
Dam to Millwood and minor overbank flows are occurring from Miniota to Virden.
Levels from St. Lazare to Brandon will change little for the next few days but
will begin to rise next week as higher flows arrive from the Shellmouth area.
A shallow inundation of valley lands is expected from St. Lazare to Brandon
for the next two to three weeks.
-
Flooding from Shellmouth to
Millwood will be more severe and will likely continue a little past the middle
of May. These forecasts are based on favourable weather.
-
A 50 mm rainstorm in the
upper Assiniboine River Watershed April 17-18 added greatly to runoff into the
Shellmouth Reservoir and resultant flooding on the Assiniboine River.
-
The water level in
Shellmouth Reservoir this morning was 1,410.95 feet, which is 2.45 feet above
the spillway elevation. The reservoir inflow was 9,500 cfs, a decline of 600
cfs from yesterday morning. The total outflow was 5,000 cfs, of which 2600 cfs
was going over the spillway. Flow through the conduit was reduced somewhat
this morning to maintain a total outflow of 5,000 cfs. The reservoir water
level is expected to crest at 1,412.3 feet on May 2.
-
Manitoba Water Stewardship,
in consultation with the Shellmouth Reservoir Regulation Liaison Committee, is
operating the reservoir to minimize the peak outflow. Controlled conduit
outflows will be reduced day by day to maintain a total outflow of 5,000 cfs
if possible. Reservoir and river conditions as well as forecasts are being
updated every day.
-
Flooding is not expected in
Brandon with the possible exception of low lying areas at Curren Park.
Locations from Brandon to Winnipeg will experience only minor rises as the
river remains well within the banks.
-
The flow in the Portage
Diversion this morning was 3,820 cfs while the inflow to Portage Reservoir was
near 8,930 cfs.
-
Flooding of low-lying
agricultural lands along the Shell River will continue for another 10-12 days
even with favourable weather.
Pembina River
-
Significant flooding
continues on the Pembina River from Rock Lake to Swan Lake, but levels
continue to decline.
-
Water levels at Gretna and
at the Aux Marais crossing at the international boundary fell another half
foot since yesterday. The United States National Weather Service is expecting
the level to decline 1.6 feet at Neche by May 4.
Carrot and Saskatchewan
Rivers
-
The level of the
Saskatchewan River at The Pas continues to decline very slowly and no further
rise is expected with favourable weather.
-
Levels of the Carrot River
from the Saskatchewan boundary to 12 miles west The Pas continue to rise very
slowly, with increases of about 0.1 feet since yesterday. An additional rise
of up to one-third of a foot is expected from the Saskatchewan boundary to
locations 10 miles west of The Pas. Minor flooding has developed in this
portion of the river, where levels will remain high for the next three weeks.
No further rise is expected within 10 miles of The Pas.
-
Extensive flooding of
agricultural lands in the Pasquia River Valley near The Pas continues with
levels in some areas as high as those of the flood last autumn. Pumping to
reduce water levels continues at maximum capacity.
Red Deer River
-
The Red Deer River crested
early this week in the Manitoba portion upstream of Red Deer Lake. Long-term
residents say that this flood is greater than that of 1955. The possibility of
record flooding on the Red Deer River was mentioned in the March, 2006 flood
outlook issued by Manitoba Water Stewardship.
-
Red Deer Lake has reached a
record high crest. Heavy ice flows are occurring at the outlet channel as the
lake ice is moving out. The community of Red Deer Lake was evacuated last
Sunday. It will take two to three weeks before levels decline sufficiently for
the clean-up to commence.
For further information,
visit http://www.gov.mb.ca/flood.
Hydrologic Forecast Centre,
Water Branch,
Manitoba Water Stewardship
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