Province issues flood warning for portion Assiniboine River

Manitoba’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre issued a flood warning Friday for a portion of the Assiniboine River.

The province said a recent fast snowmelt is resulting in high flows in rivers and tributaries between the Shellmouth Dam and Brandon.

A flood warning has been issued for these areas, the province said, as the rising water levels could impact low-lying areas.

Officials said the Assiniboine River is expected to be within the banks in the third week of April.

The outflow from the Shellmouth Dam will increase to 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) from the current 1,000 cfs to accommodate a high flow coming from Saskatchewan, the province says.

The current inflow into the lake is 6,355 cfs.

The centre is also monitoring a precipitation system that is forecast to bring 40 millimetres of precipitation, likely a mix of rain and snow, into most parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and parts of southern and central Manitoba, as flows and levels have already peaked in most rivers and streams.

The province adds updated flows and level forecasts and basic condition assessments will be provided once the exact location, amount and timing of the system is known.

Meantime, officials say the gates at the Portage Diversion were closed Friday after a brief operation to regulate ice-impacted water levels on the lower Assiniboine River downstream of Portage la Prairie.