Transportation and Infrastructure

In the last hundred years, Manitoba has experienced several major floods. The flood of 2011 was unique. High flows were recorded on almost all streams and rivers in the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba watersheds. For a flood event like this to occur on one or two major rivers is rare, let alone for a flood to occur over all of western Manitoba. The flood of 2011 highlighted several potential weak links in some of the existing flood control systems.

In 2012, the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba Basins Flood Mitigation Study was commissioned by the Government of Manitoba. The study process looked at identifying existing vulnerabilities that could lead to flood damage, identifying and assessing potential options to reduce flood risk and making recommendations. It focussed on communities and major infrastructure along the Assiniboine River, Souris River, Qu’Appelle River, Dauphin Lake, Lake Manitoba, Fairford River, Lake St. Martin, Dauphin River and Shoal Lakes. The study report provides a detailed account of the work carried out, the findings, and the conclusions and recommendations.