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A flood warning has been issued for part of southern Manitoba due to melting snow and precipitation expected next week, the province says.
The warning was issued for the Assiniboine River, between the Shellmouth Dam and the city of Brandon, a Friday news release from the province said.
A recent rapid snowmelt has increased flows along that stretch of the Assiniboine River, according to the province’s hydrologic forecast centre.
The rise in water levels could affect low-lying areas, but the Assiniboine River is expected to be within its banks by the third week of April, the province said.
Outflow from the Shellmouth Dam will increase from the current 1,000 cubic feet per second to 3,000 cubic feet per second to accommodate a high flow coming from Saskatchewan, the province said.
Sometime near the middle of next week, the province says a mix of rain and snow is also expected to drop up to 40 millimetres of precipitation into most parts of Manitoba, as well as Saskatchewan and areas of the Red River basin located within the United States.
Flows and water levels in most rivers and streams have already peaked across the province, so the precipitation is not expected to significantly affect most parts of southern and central Manitoba, the release says.
The gates of the Portage Diversion, just west of Portage la Prairie, were closed Friday due to a brief operation to stabilize ice-impacted water levels on the lower Assiniboine River, downstream of the southwestern Manitoba city, the province said.
The ice on Manitoba’s lakes, rivers and creeks is weak but conditions can change quickly without warning, so Manitobans are advised to stay off of the ice and practise caution near major bodies of water, the province says.
Manitoba’s emergency management organization has been working with all local authorities and partners, including Indigenous Services Canada, to support a possible spring flooding response.
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