A Canadian Pacific train passing flooded land.

4 May 2011

Red River Crests Flood Threat Recedes

Winnipeg Manitoba - Call it the crest that no one noticed.
 
Other than those who live or work near Winnipeg's rivers, or who are intimately involved with the flood fight, it's pretty safe to say most Winnipeggers were largely unaffected by the Red River's crest as it passed through the city Wednesday.
 
The crest level was roughly 19.6 feet above normal winter ice levels, as measured at the city's James Avenue pumping station.
 
That's more than a foot lower than where the Red briefly stood during an ice jam in early April, which occurred before the Red River Floodway was put into use.
 
In fact, Grant Mohr, the city's flood planning engineer, said it's the floodway and the Portage Diversion and Shellmouth Dam structures on the Assiniboine River that allow the waters of what would otherwise be a devastating flood to pass almost unnoticed through and around Winnipeg.
 
"We would have a flood that would be greater than the 1950 flood," Mohr said. "Part of the city would probably be evacuated."
 
Instead, Mohr said the city anticipated no problems as this year's crest passed manageably through Winnipeg.
 
Mohr said the Red's level should start dropping once the crest passes, but the river will likely remain higher than unusual for quite some time.
 
Paul Turenne.