Archived News Releases

Media Bulletin - Manitoba

April 27, 2014

Flood Bulletin #18



Summary

  • Birdtail Creek
    • An embankment holding back water on a tributary of Birdtail Creek has started to fail.  When it fails, a surge of water will travel quickly down Birdtail Creek, affecting communities downstream. 
    • Flows will depend on the size and development of the breach.
    • Water may go over some roads in the area and there could be damage to bridges in the town of Birtle.
    • The Waywayseecappo First Nation, the Birdtail Sioux First Nation, the rural municipalities of Birtle, Rossburn and Miniota and the town of Birtle all have plans in place and are in the process of evacuating people at risk from the valley.
    • Twelve homes in Birtle and the surrounding area have been evacuated.  A reception centre has been opened at the Town of Birtle municipal office on Main Street for registration.  The length of the evacuation will depend on how long the river remains high.
    • Approximately 20 people have been evacuated from the Waywayseecappo First Nation.  Evacuations are being co-ordinated by the First Nation, with support from the Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters (MANFF).
    • PTH 45 has been closed between the junctions of PR 264 and PR 476, and traffic is being routed back to PTH 16.  Flag staff and signs have been placed in the valley to stop traffic from entering the possible flood path.
    • Municipal officials in Birtle are working to raise their earth dikes to protect critical infrastructure. Tiger Tubes provided by the province are also being used.
  • Peguis First Nation
    • Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) advises flooding has resulted in the evacuation of 129 people from the Peguis First Nation.  Of this number, 49 have registered with MANFF and are being lodged in hotels in Winnipeg.
    • AANDC is working with the First Nation community and emergency management partners to ensure local emergency response activities are properly supported.  Evacuations are being
      co-ordinated by the First Nation, with support from MANFF.
    • Approximately 25 homes have been protected with sandbag and water tube dikes.  An impact assessment of damages has not yet been completed.  Water levels appear to have crested in the community.
    • The Manitoba government has sent 100 Tiger Tube dams to assist with flood-fighting efforts.
  • General
    • A low-pressure system will bring rain to western Manitoba later this afternoon.  The rain is forecast to continue over Sunday to Monday.  Officials will monitor and factor precipitation levels into future forecasts.

Warnings and Advisories

  • Flood warnings are in place for:
    • all points along the Birdtail Creek downstream of PTH 45, due to the failure of an embankment that will lead to a surge of water on the creek;
    • the Assiniboine River from the Shellmouth Dam to Brandon, due to high flows;
    • all points along the Little Saskatchewan River, due to high flows; and
    • the Fisher River, due to high flows and possible ice effects.
  • High water advisories continue for:
    • all points on Smith Creek, due to increasing high flows;
    • the Whitemud River from Gladstone to Lake Manitoba, due to increasing high flows; and
    • streams in the Interlake region, including the Icelandic River, due to rapid melt and high flows.

Emergency Response

  • The province has delivered 80 Tiger Tubes to the Fisher River Cree Nation.  Seven homes in the community have been protected at with temporary dikes (Tiger Tubes).  No other homes require flood protection at this time.
  • Two homes in the Rural Municipality of Fisher have been protected with Tiger Tubes provided by the province.
  • The Rural Municipality of Hillsburg has reported full culverts causing overland flooding and municipal road washouts.
  • The Town of Roblin has reported overland flooding issues from the north, which is being managed by pumps, temporary dikes and diverting of water.
  • In the town of Minnedosa, the school field, the Bison compound and the park have experienced minor flooding from the Little Saskatchewan River.
  • The province has provided two SERT trailers and 120 Tiger Tubes to the Town of Birtle to assist with infrastructure and home protection.

Red River

  • Water levels at all points on the Red River are declining.
  • However, there are small increases in water levels in the American portion of the river related to recent precipitation.

Roseau River

  • The Roseau River is slowly rising at most locations.  The river is free of ice and water levels are expected to stay well within bank.

Assiniboine River                                                        

  • The lower Assiniboine River is reported to be free of ice and, as a result, the Portage Diversion will be operated to send more flow down the lower Assiniboine River.
  • As of this morning, flow on the Portage Diversion is 9,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) (269 cubic metres per second (cms)) and flow on the Assiniboine River downstream of the diversion is
    5,000 cfs (142 cms).
  • Over the next day or two, flows on the Assiniboine River downstream of the diversion will be increased to approximately 8,000 cfs from 5,000 cfs.
  • The water level on Shellmouth Reservoir has increased to 1,402.8 feet.  The summer target level is 1402.5 ft.  Inflows to the reservoir are approximately 11,480 cfs (325 cms) and outflows are at 730 cfs (20.7 cms).  Inflows to the reservoir appear to have crested and are beginning to decline.
  • Outflows from the Shellmouth Dam are being increased today by about 1,000 cfs and further increases are planned over the next two to three days to hit a target outflow of 5,000 cfs.
  • This is in keeping with the guidelines, which call for outflows to be increased to keep reservoir levels below the spillway, if possible.
  • Landowners in the Assiniboine Valley from the Shellmouth Reservoir downstream to Brandon are advised of potential flooding due to this release.  Landowners are encouraged to mitigate as required, such as moving cattle or feed.
  • The impacts from the additional outflows are expected to be greatest in the area immediately below the dam and diminish moving downstream towards Brandon.

Souris River

  • Flows on the Souris River continue to see minor increases, due to increased outflows from dams upstream in Saskatchewan and North Dakota.
  • Water levels in Manitoba are expected to increase but remain within bank.

Whitemud River

  • A high water advisory is continued for the Whitemud River, from Gladstone to Lake Manitoba, due to high flows.
  • The river crested at Gladstone today, lower than the previous crest of 893 ft and within bank.

Interlake Region

  • The Fisher River has crested at almost all points and river levels are declining.
  • Provincial officials are in contact with officials at the Peguis First Nation and federal officials, and are assisting as requested.

Parkland Region

  • Flows have generally decreased on most streams in the region in the last 24 hours.
  • There have been increased flows on the Overflowing and Swan rivers, although all streams remain within bank.
  • Dauphin Lake is rising, due to high inflows.  The ice remains solid at this time and conditions are being monitored closely.

The Pas and Northern Manitoba

  • Snowmelt and run-off in the area of The Pas is beginning and the Saskatchewan, Carrot and Red Deer rivers are beginning to rise.
  • It is reported that ice is beginning to lift and move on the Saskatchewan River.

Spring Safety

People are reminded:

  •  to be watchful of local waterways as flood conditions can develop quickly and ice conditions may be unsafe,
  •  to avoid crossing areas with broken ice and surface water,
  •  not to drive or walk through fast-moving water, and
  •  to call 511 to check road conditions before travelling.

Questions or concerns about flooding or water management should be directed first to the municipal authority.  Anyone with questions about water levels, provincial waterways or provincial water control infrastructure can call 204-945-8373 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., seven days a week.

Up-to-date flood information can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/flooding/, on mobile devices at www.manitoba.caor on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBGov.

Up-to-date road information is available at www.mb511.ca, on mobile devices at www.manitoba.ca, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBGovRoadsor by calling 511.

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