Manitoba’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre announced on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, that there is a major risk of flooding on the Red River this Spring.

The centre advised that the level of risk is due to recent precipitation south of the international border.

Ice-cutting has been completed along the Red River and Icelandic River to reduce ice jam-related flooding. The province says that it anticipates that the Red River Floodway will be operating this Spring to reduce water levels that flow through the City of Winnipeg. The Portage Diversion on the Assiniboine River is also expected to operate to control water flow into Winnipeg and also east of Portage la Prairie.

Most other Manitoba basins are expected to have a low risk of flooding including the Saskatchewan River, Whiteshell lakes area and northern Manitoba. With the exceptions of Dauphin Lake and Lake St. Martin, most Manitoba lakes, including Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba, are projected to remain within operating ranges after the spring run-off.

The forecast centre also pointed out that the risk of flooding could change in any of the basins depending on weather conditions between now and spring melt.