Low to moderate risk of spring flooding for most Manitoba rivers, lakes

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 25, 2025 6:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Most Manitoba rivers and lakes are astatine a mean to debased hazard of flooding this spring, according to the province's hydrologic forecast centre.

Flood risks are expected to stay successful the debased to mean range, according to a provincial flood outlook study published Tuesday, but risks whitethorn alteration depending connected upwind conditions during the post-winter thaw. 

The centre expects lakes to beryllium wrong their "desired operating ranges" after the outpouring runoff, with a debased flood hazard successful the surrounding areas. 

Some rivers successful the province's southwestern and Interlake regions person a mean hazard of flooding, the centre says, including the Assiniboine River from Russell to Brandon. The flood hazard is besides mean for the Souris, Qu'Appelle, Fisher and Icelandic rivers, the state says.

The flood hazard is presently debased for the Red, Pembina, Rat, Roseau, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Churchill, Carrot and Swan rivers, and for the Whiteshell Lakes area. 

The state says ice-cutting and ice-breaking enactment connected the Red and Icelandic rivers is done. Work volition beryllium conducted on Fisher River this week.

The forecast centre is watching a strategy that could bring up to 15 centimetres of snowfall to cardinal and confederate Manitoba basins this weekend, but the effect of that snowfall has been factored into the existent flood outlook.

The state besides warns that warmer temperatures bring weaker ice, it cautions people to enactment disconnected rivers, retention ponds and different bodies of h2o arsenic they thaw.