Provincial government releases report on 2009 spring flood

Martens gives thumbs up to recommendation to raise Highway 75

Posted By By Glen Hallick

Posted 5 months ago

Last Friday the province released it’s report into this spring’s flooding in southern Manitoba and in particular the Red River Valley.

While the Flood of 2009 ranks on par with the Flood of 1950, protection efforts greatly reduced damage.

Of the Valley’s 15 community ring dikes built since 1997, 13 were partially closed. Two others, at Riverside and Roseau River were completely closed.

The Manitoba 2009 Spring Flood Report from Manitoba Water Stewardship estimates those dikes saved about $700 million in damages. Also the flood protection works for 1,730 homes, farms and businesses outside of the community dikes saved another $100 million.

“Flood-control and flood-fighting improvements made since 1999 have paid off,” Water Stewardship minister Christine Melnick said in a prepared statement.

“But we learned where improvements can be made,” Melnick added.

MAIN REASONS

The report cites unusual ice build-up and frozen culverts as the main reasons for the severity of the flooding.

The report said river ice normally clears when the water in the Red River moves at 990 to 1,130 cubic meters per second. However flows were more than 1,800 cubic meters per second before the thick ice began to clear the Red’s channel.

Also the Floodway Control Structure normally operates when the ice in the river has cleared. This spring marked a very rare occurrence when the gates, located on the Red, where raised to back water up into the Floodway with a good deal of ice still in the river.

At Morris, floodwaters crested April 19 at 1.5 centimeters above the 1950 level and 4.3 cm below that of 1997.

High water resulted in about 1,000 square kilometers in the Valley being flooded, forcing the evacuation of 2,800 people.

Also Highway 75 was closed for 37 days with traffic being diverted primarily down Hwy. 3 to 14, but also down Hwys. 1, 2, and 13, to connect with Hwy. 3.

The Pembina River saw record flooding between Rock Lake and Windygates.

At Gretna the flooded Pembina forced the partial closure of it spring dike.

For Disaster Financial Assistance, the amount has been estimated at $40 million, only one-sixth of the total from the 1997 Flood of the Century.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Some of the report’s recommendations include improving the water flow at the Floodway, a review of the Floodway’s operating guidelines, and raising parts of Hwys. 23, 75, 200, 201 and 205, and improving ice mitigation. Another point is to improve training, facilities and equipment to help municipalities during future floods. Also to use real time monitoring of tributary flows into the Red such as that from the La Salle River.

“In managing these remarkable challenges, we have gained experience to develop strategies to better deal with future events,” the minister said.

“We must also acknowledge the hundreds of volunteers, municipal officials and provincial workers whose dedication and determination to respond to the unprecedented challenges helped the entire province weather the 2009 spring flood,” Melnick added.

The reeve of the Rural Municipality of Morris is particularly pleased with what he has seen of the report so far.

While noting he’s only seen what has been published in the media, Herm Martens said he’s very happy with the report.

In particular the recommendation to raise parts of Hwy. 75.

“It isn’t going to be easy and it isn’t going to be cheap,” Martens warned.

The reeve added he was very happy with the detour for Rosenort.

“We did an excellent flood route for Rosenort.”

SIGHTSEERS KEPT AT BAY

He noted there was security personnel at each end of the detour to keep sightseers at bay. Also Rosenort businesses stayed in operation.

Morris MLA Mavis Taillieu strongly urged the NDP government to pursue the report’s recommendations.

In a prepared statement, Taillieu also chastised the government for what she termed as the NDP’s “no-plan approach.”

“The NDP should have been better prepared to deal with this spring’s flooding. We had flooding in 2006 and for three years the NDP did nothing,” the Morris MLA said.

The complete flood report can be viewed at www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/.