Flood forecasters in southern Manitoba are calling for a high risk of major spring flooding in the Red River Valley this year.
On February 28, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced that, even with normal weather throughout March and April, the river is expected to crest close to the levels previously seen in the 2011 flood.
Should more intemperate weather come our way, in the form of high precipitation and extended cold temperatures, water levels could come close to the 2009 crest.
The 2009 flood, for point of reference, was the fourth most significant flood since 1826. Sections of Highway 75 were closed that year for 37 days.
Although the flood risk is high, Schuler noted that the province’s infrastructure is more than up for the challenge. The Red River floodway, which has been expanded in recent years, is expected to operate, in addition to the Portage Diversion, which controls water levels along the Assiniboine River.
That said, properties to the north and south of Winnipeg are likely to be threatened.
