‘Constant crisis’: Peguis floods again, communities keep wary watch as Lake Winnipeg continues to rise

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/06/2022 (815 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than two dozen homes damaged in spring flooding and subsequently repaired have been hit yet again, as Peguis First Nation issued its second state of emergency this year.

Meantime, communities and cottage owners anxiously watch the high water levels on Lake Winnipeg — and it hasn’t peaked yet.

Peguis Chief Glenn Hudson said his community (some 200 kilometres north of Winnipeg) is busy sandbagging, after the Fisher River once again spilled its banks after rain last week and weekend.

“And there is more (rain) coming on Tuesday and Wednesday. We don’t know where we will be after that,” Hudson said Monday.

“The first flood we had, a one-in-200-year flood, affected over 500 homes. This time, a one-in-100 flood, we had 37 homes affected and 26 of them have been cleaned and dried from the spring flooding. We were hoping we would be in full recovery mode this summer, but we seem to be in a constant crisis mode.”

Hudson said the First Nation continues to push the federal government for a permanent flood protection solution.

Meanwhile, docks on Lake Winnipeg at Gimli, Hnausa and Hecla were all under water at times during the weekend, while shorelines around the southern basin of the lake were buffeted by waves after winds pushed as much as four feet higher than normal upper levels.

Robert Kristjanson, 88, said he has never seen the lake as high as it was on the weekend.

“It came up with that nor’wester (Sunday),” the fisher said. “In Grindstone, all the docks were underwater. They normally are six feet above the water. It’s dangerously high right now.”

Regulations the province has for Lake Winnipeg means Manitoba Hydro has to reduce water levels on the lake when they reach 715 feet above sea level.

Hydro spokesman Bruce Owen said in recent weeks, even with the outlet on the north end of the lake letting out as much water as is possible without flooding-out Cross Lake, the Lake Winnipeg’s level is still going up — with the utility forecasting a peak of about 717.2 feet by late July.

“It started with the melt of all the snow in the Red River Valley,” Owen said. “It’s also because Lake of the Woods has the highest flood levels since the 1950s.

“If there’s a silver lining, last year, we were in a drought. If last year had been a normal year, then this would be a lot worse… and it would be two feet higher without regulation.”

The lake’s worst flood on record was when it reach 719.5 feet in 1974, followed by 717.6 feet in 1966. Both of those floods were before the province regulated the lake.

On Sunday, the Crown utility’s water gauge showed wind pushed the water levels up to 719.24 feet at Gimli, while, on the other side of the lake, it was slightly higher at 719.34 feet. Last year at this time, the lake was at 713 feet.

Rural Municipality of Gimli Mayor Lynn Greenberg said the docks in the beachside community were above water Monday, but that wasn’t the situation Sunday.

“We’re okay now, but when we get high northeast winds, we will go under again,” Greenberg said. “Last year, we were praying for water and now we’re praying to take it away.”

The mayor said Willow Island, a residential community south of Gimli, had water over its causeway Sunday (the only access road), but by Monday the water had receded.

A provincial spokesperson said its Emergency Measures Organization regularly engages all municipalities in preparedness and response activities, and its emergency co-ordination centre continues to support municipalities in flood-fighting and recovery efforts.

“The province has deployed thousands of pieces of… equipment to numerous municipalities across the province and is administering a significant Disaster Financial Assistance program to ensure relief is available,” the spokesperson said.

“Municipalities are responsible for giving direction and support to their residents.”

kevin.rollason@freeepress.mb.ca