Another stormy day in Manitoba had people along the southern edge of Lake Manitoba prepping for high water once again.
In Delta Beach, residents demanded the province do a better job of controlling lake levels.
As winds from the northwest battered Delta Beach Sunday, cottage owners monitored flood mitigation measures that have begun to weaken.
"It doesn't take a scientist to figure out, we're in big trouble,’ said Don Clarkson, president of the Delta Beach Association. “They have got to get more water out of the lake."
The lake level climbs daily thanks to water pouring in from the Portage Diversion. Cottage owners say the province should build a channel that drains as much water from the lake as the diversion adds.
"It's pretty simple to say that's something I personally would like, the Delta Beach Association would like, and all of the other associations around the lake not only would like but are demanding," said Clarkson.
Last year, the province committed to building an additional outlet for Lake Manitoba. “An additional/enhanced outlet from Lake Manitoba must be properly designed and engineered so it works as intended, including consideration for upstream and downstream impacts,” a statement from the provincial government said.
The province expects a $2.2 million study of the Assiniboine River system and Lake Manitoba to be completed sometime this year.
Homeowners along Delta Beach remember a time when their properties extended an additional 200 feet (61 metres) into the lake.
"Now, with the diversion running all the time, we've lost all the protection,” said Scott Greenlay of the Association of Lake Manitoba Stakeholders. “The trees are gone, the land is gone, and now we're sitting ducks."
Greenlay's wind gauge measured maximum gusts of 68 km/h Sunday. He worries about the kind of waves a larger storm could bring.
The province expects a second crest on the Assiniboine to reach Portage la Prairie on Monday or Tuesday and says flows on the diversion will increase in the coming days.
According to the province's latest flood update, crews have started lowering the Red River Floodway gates. It says the Red River levels have declined, and tributaries that feed Dauphin Lake as well as the Saskatchewan River are also starting to decline.
About 580 people were evacuated due to summer flooding.
Anyone looking for help to deal with flooding can do so through the province's disaster financial assistance program. Application forms are online at manitobaemo.ca.
- With a report by Ben Miljure
