April 2, 2020
Province Advises Outflow from Shellmouth Reservoir Increasing
Manitoba Infrastructure’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre reports the outflow from the Shellmouth Reservoir will be increasing to 800 cubic feet per second (cfs) from 100 cfs as part of the annual reduction from the upper Assiniboine River.
This will result in a two-to-three foot increase on the Assiniboine River from the Shellmouth to Russell, and one-to-two ft. from Russell to Brandon. There will be a 0.5-to-one ft. increase as the water reaches Winnipeg in about two weeks.
The increased outflow will result in potentially hazardous ice conditions from the Shellmouth Reservoir down the Assiniboine River. Citizens are advised to stay off the river at this time.
The province will continue to monitor conditions on the upper Assiniboine River as well as downstream river levels.
The Hydrologic Forecast Centre is also advising the public of potentially hazardous ice conditions on rivers, lakes and drainage ditches throughout Manitoba as the spring thaw progresses.
Use of the rivers, lakes, floodways or drainage ditches for activities such as skiing, sledding and snowmobiling could be hazardous at this time and should be avoided. People living near waterways should be especially careful to prevent children and pets from wandering onto the ice.
Daily temperatures are warming gradually and are causing ice thickness and strength to deteriorate. The quality of river ice within communities is also uncertain, so citizens are advised to stay off rivers and retention ponds.
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