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Province, Leading Engineers to Develop Solutions to Reduce Lake Levels

Premier Greg Selinger today announced that two leading engineering consulting firms have been hired to urgently develop options to reduce water levels on Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin.

The premier also announced significant enhancements to the province’s historic 2011 Flood Building and Recovery Action Plan.

“It is clear that there is much left in our fight against this year’s flood.  We’re seeing remarkable third crests on the Assiniboine and Souris rivers and higher lake levels than ever before,” said Selinger.  “The results of these record waters have been devastating for some Manitobans.  That’s why we’re focused on finding practical solutions to lower lake levels and quickly getting families the help they need.”

Leading hydro-technical and geotechnical firms AECOM and Manitoba’s KGS Group have been contracted to provide specialized engineering advice and to work with provincial government engineers to rapidly develop viable solutions that will lower water levels on Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin.

“We’ll work with the federal government to quickly implement feasible engineered options to lower water levels and give some much needed relief to hard hit communities,” said Selinger.  “And we’ll work with local communities to ensure they are a part of the process and can see direct economic benefits from our flood fight.”

The province will test new techniques for mitigating storm damage by implementing wave-breaking trial projects to be evaluated by engineering consultants in the coming months, the premier said.

The premier and provincial officials also provided details of new enhancements to the Building and Recovery Action Plan including:

• Expanding permanent flood protection

The Manitoba government is launching the 2011 Individual Flood Proofing Initiative to help homeowners, businesses and farms with financial assistance to implement permanent flood protection such as building dikes or raising structures. 

For the first time, the program is also being expanded to provide support to cottage owners.  Property owners will be eligible for a government contribution of 86 per cent toward projects up to $100,000 for homes, businesses and farms, and up to $40,000 for cottages. 

A total of $75 million will be allocated over five years to support over 1,200 projects, the premier said.

• Increasing financial assistance for Manitoba families

The Manitoba government is increasing the financial assistance available to families whose homes have been damaged by this year’s flood under the provincewide Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) Program and the special Lake Manitoba Financial Assistance Program.  Maximum payouts for primary residences are being increased to $240,000 under DFA and $270,000 under the Lake Manitoba program.

In addition, the province will waive program co-payments where permanent flood protection is undertaken, making it easier for families to protect themselves for the future, Selinger said.

It is expected that direct financial assistance paid to families under DFA and the special programs for Lake Manitoba and the Hoop and Holler Bend area will total approximately $45 million this year.

• Giving families a break on property taxes

The Manitoba government is introducing a special Provincial Property Tax Relief Program to provide tax relief to property owners who have seen significant damage from this year’s record flooding.

The province will maintain revenues for local municipalities by covering 2011 municipal and school taxes for families for the period of time from when their property was damaged through to the end of year.  Municipalities will be asked to identify flood-affected properties that qualify for this tax relief.

This program is expected to total approximately $2.3 million, Selinger said.

The premier also noted he has asked Flood 2011 Building and Recovery Action Plan appeals commissioner Ron Bell to recommend guidelines for a fair and reasonable buyout program to deal with extreme cases where damage to property has been so severe that it is either physically impossible to rebuild or economically unfeasible to do so. 

“With each flood, we take the time to learn from our experience with the water.  This year’s flood is the largest in our recorded history and our approach will be no different,” said Selinger.  “We’ll keep working with First Nation and municipal leaders to learn from the flood and develop smart, practical solutions to reduce water levels and get families the help they need.”

The province has begun compiling an overview report of the ongoing 2011 flood including lessons learned and planned improvements for the future.  The report is expected to be available later this year, depending on the flood’s progression.

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