Monthly Archives: April 2019

Lake Manitoba update: April 28, 2019

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It has been an uneventful week around Lake Manitoba. The level of Lake Manitoba is up moderately from last week and is sitting at 811.655 feet, but that level is wind affected. The level of Lake St. Martin declined further to 799.07 feet. The level of Lake Winnipegosis is up slightly to 831.86 feet. Outflow on the Fairford River is unchanged at 3,196 cfs. Flow on the Waterhen, however, has risen to 6,251 cfs. Flow on the Whitemud is dropping and is now down to 240 cfs. The gauge on the Dauphin River is showing 4,202 cfs. Flow on the Assiniboine continues to fall and is now 2,719 cfs at Holland and 2,913 cfs at Headingly. The Shellmouth Reservoir is still filling and has reached to 1398.41 ft this week.

River update
Time: 8:30 AM April 28, 2019
Portage Diversion: closed
Assiniboine at Holland: 2,719 cfs
Assiniboine at Headingly: 2,913 cfs
Waterhen: 6,251 cfs
Whitemud: 240 cfs
Fairford: 3,196 cfs
Dauphin: 4,202 cfs
 
Lake update
Time: 8:30 AM April 28, 2019
Steep Rock: 811.58 ft
Westbourne: 811.73 ft
Mean level Lake Manitoba: 811.655 ft
Lake Manitoba desired operating range: 810.5 to 812.5 ft
Lake St. Martin: 799.07 ft
Lake St. Martin desired operating range: 797.0 to 800.0 ft
Lake Winnipegosis: 831.86 ft
Shellmouth Reservoir: 1398.49 ft

Extracted from the Environment and Climate Change Canada Real-time Hydrometric Data web site (https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/mainmenu/real_time_data_index_e.html) on April 28, 2019

Lake Manitoba update: April 21, 2019

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The spring freshet has come and gone on the Assiniboine: flows are declining rapidly and the Portage Diversion has been closed. We benefited from cooperative weather that resulted in a slow snow melt.

The level of Lake Manitoba is up slightly from last week, to 811.61 feet this morning. The level of Lake St. Martin is fell further to 799.16 feet. The level of Lake Winnipegosis is currently wind affected and reading 831.82 feet this morning. Flow on the Fairford River is up slightly to 3,196 cfs. Flow on the Waterhen River has risen to 5,933 cfs while flow on the Whitemud is down to 466 cfs. The gauge on the Dauphin River is showing a sharply increased flow of 4,485 cfs (which seems too high and may be a gauge error). Flow on the Assiniboine is falling and is now 3,214 cfs at Holland and 3,567 cfs at Headingly. The Shellmouth Reservoir is being filled and has reached to 1397.31 ft this morning.

River update
Time: 9:30 AM April 21, 2019
Portage Diversion: closed
Assiniboine at Holland: 3,214 cfs
Assiniboine at Headingly: 3,567 cfs
Waterhen: 5,933 cfs
Whitemud: 466 cfs
Fairford: 3,196 cfs
Dauphin: 4,485 cfs
 
Lake update
Time: 9:30 AM April 21, 2019
Steep Rock: 811.58 ft
Westbourne: 811.63 ft
Mean level Lake Manitoba: 811.61 ft
Lake Manitoba desired operating range: 810.5 to 812.5 ft
Lake St. Martin: 799.16 ft
Lake St. Martin desired operating range: 797.0 to 800.0 ft
Lake Winnipegosis: 831.82 ft
Shellmouth Reservoir: 1397.31 ft

Extracted from the Environment and Climate Change Canada Real-time Hydrometric Data web site (https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/mainmenu/real_time_data_index_e.html) on April 21, 2019

Lake Manitoba update: April 14, 2019

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The Portage Diversion was opened this week, but flows have been a relative trickle. Currently the gauge is showing 420 cfs going down the Diversion to Lake Manitoba. The good news is that the Assiniboine has reached its peak flow and is now falling: the flow at Holland is now about 5,000 cfs and declining, meaning that unless there is some extraordinary weather in the next few weeks, any flow from the Diversion into Lake Manitoba will have only minor effects (a few mm) on the level of the lake. In the past, the Diversion has been used to divert water out of the Assiniboine when the Red River is flooding.

The level of Lake Manitoba is almost unchanged from last week, sitting at 811.59 feet this morning. The level of Lake St. Martin is falling quickly and is now down to 799.27 feet. Lake Winnipegosis fell to 831.77 feet. Flow on the Fairford River is up slightly to 3,143 cfs. Flow on the Waterhen is currently 3,814 cfs but falling. Flow on the Whitemud up to 636 cfs. The Dauphin River flow is almost unchanged at 2,550 cfs.

The Shellmouth Reservoir is being filled and has risen to 1395.28 ft this week.

River update
Time: 8:00 AM April 14, 2019
Portage Diversion: 420 cfs
Assiniboine at Holland: 5,015 cfs
Assiniboine at Headingly: 6,463 cfs
Waterhen: 3,143 cfs
Whitemud: 636 cfs
Fairford: 3,143 cfs
Dauphin: 2,550 cfs
 
Lake update
Time: 8:00 AM April 14, 2019
Steep Rock: 811.53 ft
Westbourne: 811.67 ft
Mean level Lake Manitoba: 811.59 ft
Lake Manitoba desired operating range: 810.5 to 812.5 ft
Lake St. Martin: 799.27 ft
Lake St. Martin desired operating range: 797.0 to 800.0 ft
Lake Winnipegosis: 831.77 ft
Shellmouth Reservoir: 1395.28 ft

Extracted from the Environment and Climate Change Canada Real-time Hydrometric Data web site (https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/mainmenu/real_time_data_index_e.html) on April 14, 2019

Lake Manitoba update: April 7, 2019

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All eyes are on the Assiniboine now that the Province has announced it will be opening the Portage Diversion in the next several days. Assiniboine flows are rising, reaching 4,591 cfs at Holland and 5,862 cfs downstream at Headingly. The province stated that it will reduce flow east of Portage to less than 5,000 cfs to prevent ice-jamming on the lower Assiniboine. The opening of Diversion to prevent ice-jamming has now become a routine operation in the spring.

To the north the Waterhen River is springing to life, and its flow has jumped to 3,214 cfs: we should expect that to rise to about 5,600 cfs after the ice clears. That was the flow on the Waterhen last fall before ice-up. Flow on the Whitemud fell to 431 cfs. Flow at Fairford is unchanged this week at 3,026 cfs. The Dauphin River flow is up to 2,515 cfs.

The level of Lake Manitoba is down this week to 811.58 feet; Lake St. Martin also fell and is down to 799.53 feet. Lake Winnipegosis is up on the week to 831.87 ft. The level of the Shellmouth Reservoir has risen to 1392.88 ft this week.

River update
Time: 8:30 AM April 7, 2019
Portage Diversion: closed
Assiniboine at Holland: 4,591 cfs
Assiniboine at Headingly: 5,898 cfs
Waterhen: 3,214 cfs
Whitemud: 431 cfs
Fairford: 3,026 cfs
Dauphin: 2,515 cfs
 
Lake update
Time: 8:30 AM April 7, 2019
Steep Rock: 811.47 ft
Westbourne: 811.70 ft
Mean level Lake Manitoba: 811.58 ft
Lake Manitoba desired operating range: 810.5 to 812.5 ft
Lake St. Martin: 799.53 ft
Lake St. Martin desired operating range: 797.0 to 800.0 ft
Lake Winnipegosis: 831.87 ft
Shellmouth Reservoir: 1392.88 ft

Extracted from the Environment and Climate Change Canada Real-time Hydrometric Data web site (https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/mainmenu/real_time_data_index_e.html) on April 7, 2019

Province announces opening of Portage Diversion

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The province has announced it will open the Portage Diversion in the next several days to keep flows on the lower Assiniboine below 5,000 cfs. That is to prevent ice jamming on the Lower Assiniboine. Right now flows on the Assiniboine at Holland are less than 5,000 cfs but rising. Upstream the flow on the Assiniboine at Brandon has plateaued at 2,800 cfs and the flow on the Souris at Wawanesa is less than 1,000 cfs and falling. What that means is that flows on the Assiniboine are modest right now (they will rise as the weather warms), but in the near future, any flow through the Diversion will be low and have little effect on the level of Lake Manitoba. As a rule of thumb, a flow of 5,000 cfs into Lake Manitoba will cause the lake to rise about 3″ per month or 7/10ths of an inch per week.

The media release from the province can be found here:

https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=45195&posted=2019-04-05