November 14, 2016
Province Announces Annual Fall Increase of Outflows from the Shellmouth Reservoir
The Hydrologic Forecast Centre of Manitoba Infrastructure will increase outflows from the Shellmouth Reservoir to 1,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) starting tomorrow morning as part of the annual fall draw down to make room for anticipated spring run-off from the upper Assiniboine River.
The current outflow is 830 cfs. Outflows will increase gradually, on average 300 cfs per day, until it reaches 1,600 cfs. The release of 1,600 cfs will be maintained for part of the winter and spring.
The current inflow into the Shellmouth Reservoir is 1,650 cfs. The Shellmouth Dam has been storing much of the water that comes from the upper Assiniboine and Saskatchewan rivers, and because of this, the reservoir is near the record level for this time of year.
The Assiniboine River from Saskatchewan into Manitoba and as far east as Headingley is at record high levels for this time of year following heavy October rain. Flows and levels are forecast to remain near record levels set in the fall of 2010 until the spring run-off.
Without the Shellmouth Dam, flows would already be much higher on the Assiniboine River.
More information on the extended forecast is available at www.gov.mb.ca/mit/floodinfo/floodoutlook/forecast_centre/rivers/reports/Assiniboine%20River%20Flows%202016.pdf.
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