Province issues flood warning for portions of Assiniboine River

Winnipeg -

The province has issued a flood warning for the Assiniboine River from St. Lazare to Griswold. Man.

Manitoba’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre issued the update Tuesday afternoon.

It said the Shellmouth Dam is being operated to reduce the risk of flooding downstream on the Assiniboine River while providing sufficient storage for the water supply.

The province said dam operations are constantly assessed and outflows may change as melting and run-off in the upper Assiniboine River basin resume.

Additionally, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk said they are monitoring Highway 75 in case it needs to be closed.

“We’re hoping that we don’t have to close it, but we’re basically monitoring the Red River itself. We do have a short detour at (Provincial Road) 246, which is on the east side of the river that will only cause minutes of extra travel time,” he said.

He said a ring dike closure is already in effect in St. Adolphe, although vehicle access is still permitted, and there is a partial ring dike closure in Brunkild to protect that community’s homes.

Meanwhile, an overland flood warning is still in effect for southern Manitoba from the Saskatchewan border east to Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 12 and from the United States border north to PTH 1, extending north between PTH 5 and PTH 16, and north of PTH 1 between Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg.

READ MORE: Flood warning issued for section of the Red River Valley

The province said a high water advisory has also been issued for the Whiteshell lakes area as rain and snowmelt cause most lakes in this region to rise.

Officials say water levels on most tributaries in the Red River basin are at peak and staying steady or slowly declining after two days of rapid increases. The province said river levels on the Red River continue to rise, but the rate has slowed significantly compared to the water level increases experience over the week.

According to the province, southern Manitoba basins, including the U.S. portions of the Red, Souris, Pembina and Roseau river basins, received an average of 60 millimteres of precipitation since April 22.

The centre reminds Manitobans to stay off waterways, as high flows, debris and cold temperatures can cause safety risks.

- With files from CTV's Jeff Keele