The province opened the Portage Diversion late Saturday afternoon after issuing a high-water advisory for the Assiniboine River.
“Channel flows may reach 2,500 cubic feet per second in the next 24 hours,” the province said in a flood bulletin released on Sunday.
Ice jams on the river have created a risk of flooding in areas from St. Lazare to Portage la Prairie. A CTV viewer submitted images of flooded roads in Spruce Woods Provincial Park, where the province says the ice jam remained on Sunday.
Water levels on the river rose seven feet (2.13 metres) since the ice jam formed. A portion of PTH 5 remains closed indefinitely because of water covering the road.
"The ice jam is not accessible,” said Steve Topping, executive director of Manitoba Infrastructure and Highways. “Our Amphibexes cannot be deployed there because there is nowhere to move the ice. The whole river is chalked right full of ice."
Provincial flood officials are monitoring upstream water levels and reservoir inflows.
