A series of thunderstorms has river levels rising in the Assiniboine Water Basin and its tributaries.

Minister of Infrastructure, Ron Schuler, says the voluntary evacuation of property owners downstream of the Rivers Dam along the Little Saskatchewan River, is a precautionary step as the Province has lost confidence in the integrity of the Rivers Dam.  Engineers are currently on site to monitor the dam in the event of a breach.

Water levels have met or surpassed the 2011 flood water levels in various parts of the Westman Region, and the Rivers Dam along the Little Saskatchewan River are at dangerously high levels.

Minister Schuler explains more on the situation at the Rivers dam.  “This is a 60-year-old structure and it was never engineered to take the kind of water event that we have coming at us.”

“I think when the dam was built some 60 years ago they never intended to built for a 1/1000 water event. The dam is inspected monthly. It was just inspected in June, and it was absolutely up to par to deal with the water flows that it was built to.  I don’t think anybody could have conceivably anticipated this much water coming at us, and it came at us at an incredibly fast rate.”

Rivers Spillway June 2 2020 - Courtesy – Manitoba government

“It’s the speed, it’s the volume,’ he explains, “the dam, what it was built to, was able to withstand that kind of water event.  12,000 cfs continuously going down the spillway, that it was not built for, so again we’re monitoring it.  We’re making sure that any issues we are dealing with right away.  It was out of an abundance of caution, and until such time that we can see the bottom of the spillway, that might be in perfect shape, we have no idea. Until then, our recommendation is that people stay out of that flood zone.”

The bridge below the Rivers Dam has been closed to the public as the water level is rising to dangerous levels on the bridge.  Schuler says construction crews are currently working to save the bridge.

Schuler says the Province in constantly monitoring all the dams in the Westman area as to their structural integrity. However, the roadways and waterways are changing constantly and Schuler cautions everyone to use extreme caution when travelling in these areas.

As operation of the Portage Diversion began early Thursday morning to limit flows in the lower Assiniboine River to 10,000 cfs, questions were asked of Minister Schuler if there were any concerns to the urban and rural areas down river of the Assiniboine.

The operation of the Portage Diversion is not anticipated to have a significant impact on the level of Lake Manitoba and is in accordance with Portage Diversion operating guidelines.

Reference to 2011 flood waters comes with good reason, as those levels were a benchmark for the Province in the Westman Region.

“I think we can say with a certain amount of confidence that this is far greater of an event than 2011,” says Schuler, “we are in some areas between 3 and 4 feet higher than we were in 2011.”

“In 2011, the cfs going over the spillway at the Rivers Dam was at 5,000 cfs, and we are currently putting 12,000 cfs over the spillway,” he explains. “It tells you the difference in magnitude between 2011, is the high benchmark for us, and how much greater this event is.”

Concern is for the upcoming forecast in the Westman area as even an inch of rain can be detrimental to the area.

“Every inch of water adds a lot because that’s an inch of water over a lot of real estate.”