April 12, 2017
Flood Bulletin #15
Manitoba Infrastructure’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre reports overland flooding and tributary flows continue to subside across parts of southern Manitoba. Flows in the Assiniboine River are continuing to rise.
Weather forecasts are predicting strong winds for April 13 to 16, as a low-pressure system begins to move from west to east across Manitoba. Rain is forecast for much of Manitoba over the weekend.
The risk of shoreline ice pileup on some Manitoba lakes, including Lake Manitoba, Lake Winnipeg and Pelican Lake, is low today but may rise over the weekend due to forecasted winds. Property owners are advised to remove valuables from shorelines.
Ice is still in place on northern rivers and tributaries. All major rivers in southern Manitoba are ice free.
Partial ring dike closures are in place at St. Adolphe and Gretna. Conditions will be monitored at Gretna as water levels begin to decrease.
Water levels at James Avenue were measured at 17.8 feet this morning. Due to increasing flows on the Assiniboine River, water levels at James Avenue are expected to remain within the range of 17.5 to 18 ft. for the next few days as flows on the Red River recede.
A flood warning remains in effect for the upper Assiniboine River from the Shellmouth Dam to Holland.
The Pembina River is declining at all points. However, a flood warning remains in effect at Pelican Lake as lake levels have reached flood stage.
As of this morning, flow on the Portage Diversion channel is 23,887 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 676 cubic metres per second (cms) and the flow on the Assiniboine River downstream of the diversion is 13,013 cfs (369 cms).
The Assiniboine River has crested at Holland at an estimated 39,000 cfs (1,105 cms). The peak will reach Portage la Prairie tomorrow. Crews at the Portage Diversion have completed preparations for emergency flows above 25,000 cfs (708 cms).
A flood watch remains in effect for the area between Portage la Prairie and Headingley. The bascule gates are currently set at 13,700 cfs (388 cms) and will be considered for increase to 15,000 cfs(425 cms) in the next 24 hours. Temporary flood protection measures are complete on the lower Assiniboine River.
A flood warning is in place for the Carrot River near The Pas as there is a very high risk that ice jamming could occur. Flows on the Carrot River at Turnberry, Sask. are expected to peak at 8,000 cfs (227 cms) by April 22.
Water levels on the Carrot River in Manitoba are influenced by Carrot River flows and water levels on the Saskatchewan River where the two rivers meet. Conditions will be monitored because the ice is still intact in Manitoba as river flows continue to rise. Ice jamming on the Carrot River could occur between April 13 and 15.
High water levels have led to a number of road closures across the province. Avoid driving through moving water as the water depth can be unpredictable and the current can push vehicles off the road.
Up-to-date flood information can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/flooding/ or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBGov.
For current highway conditions, call 511, visit www.manitoba511.ca, or follow the Twitter account at www.twitter.com/MBGovRoads for closures. A Manitoba 511 app is now available for download at https://residents.gov.mb.ca/apps/511.html.
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