Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre reports the outflow from the Shellmouth Reservoir will be increasing today, as part of the normal operation to draw down the level of the reservoir in preparation for spring runoff from the upper Assiniboine River.

The current outflow is 500 cubic feet per second (cfs). The outflow will be increased in two stages with an increase to 700 cfs today, and a further increase to 1,000 cfs on March 18.

The increase in outflow will start to raise water levels on the Assiniboine River from Shellmouth to Winnipeg starting today. At the end of the final increase on March 18, water levels on the Assiniboine River will rise by up to two and half feet between the Shellmouth Dam and Russell, one to one and half feet near Brandon, and less than half a foot by the time the flow increase reaches Winnipeg.

The province will continue to monitor conditions in the upper Assiniboine River as well as downstream river levels.