Manitoba Water Stewardship reports that cold weather is causing parts of the Red River to refreeze and extensive frazil ice is developing. As a result, the ice jam at Sugar Island just north of Selkirk is slowly increasing in size. Frazil ice is expected to continue building and may reach as far south as Lockport by tomorrow morning. Warmer weather beginning tomorrow afternoon should improve the situation.
Unless the ice breaks up, water levels in the Selkirk area could reach an ice-related crest of between 221.6 and 221.9 metres (727 and 728 feet) over the weekend. This crest would be 0.4 m to 0.7 m (1.4 to 2.4 ft.) lower than the 2009 crest and almost 1.2 m (four ft.) lower than 2007. It would exceed the open water crest expected on April 9.
Manitoba Water Stewardship, the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization and Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation are working closely with municipalities north of Winnipeg to assess what further precautions may be required. Super sandbags, flood tubes and other equipment are available in the area to assist as required. At this time, no properties are threatened.
It’s unlikely the Amphibexes will be able to operate around this ice jam as the ice isn’t heavy enough to support safe operation of the machines and the equipment is not effective in controlling frazil-ice conditions. All options are being assessed for use of the machines as conditions evolve.
The threat of ice jams north of Selkirk has been significantly reduced due to the amount of ice-cutting and ice-breaking undertaken in the last few weeks.
South of Winnipeg in the Red River Valley, the Red River is continuing to rise slowly and the forecast is unchanged. Crests in the Emerson area are still anticipated March 30 or 31.
Floodway operations have not yet started and are not anticipated to begin until after ice is flowing freely at the inlet control structure, which is not expected to occur for at least 24 hours, given freezing weather conditions. There is currently water in the floodway as a result of natural flows, not because of floodway gate operations.
