Manitoba Parks has announced more delays at some campgrounds in our province. The delayed openings are the result of flooding.
In Whiteshell Provincial Park, the closure and evacuation order for the northern area of the park remains in effect. The closure area includes Sylvia Lake, Eleanor Lake, Otter Falls, Dorothy Lake, Barrier Bay, Nutimik Lake and Betula Lake. No one is allowed to reside in or enter the closure area. The closure area applies to all cottage subdivisions, commercial areas, campgrounds, group-use, day-use, recreational and picnic areas, playgrounds, trails and beaches.
Additionally, all backcountry campsites remain closed in Whiteshell Provincial Park, along with multiple trails including the Mantario Trail, for at least another week.
The Winnipeg and Whiteshell rivers continue to cause significant overland flooding. The Winnipeg River is expected to crest this week and may take several weeks to fully recede to normal summer levels, depending on weather conditions. Manitoba Parks is working in conjunction with Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure on a phased plan of safe reopening once water levels recede and conditions become safe for travel. Campground infrastructure, including electrical, water and wastewater systems, will be assessed and repairs may be required before reopening for camping. Details on a reopening plan are expected to be finalized in the coming week.
Beach users in the Whiteshell Provincial Park are advised to use caution as swim buoy lines have not yet been installed in all designated swim areas and there may be submerged debris in swim areas. Crescent Beach at West Hawk Lake is closed.
Watercraft users are reminded restrictions are in place on lakes in Nopiming and Whiteshell provincial parks to limit erosion and property damage from boat wakes along flooded shorelines. No watercraft may travel within the northern Whiteshell closure area.
In Nopiming Provincial Park, the Tulabi Falls campground is open. However, the walk-in backcountry sites and one yurt remain closed. The Bird River-Elbow Lake canoe route is open and the Manigotagan River canoe route is open starting from Long Lake. Backcountry users should expect high, fast-moving water with wet conditions and fallen trees on portages. Provincial Road (PR) 314 remains closed through the park and all other campgrounds, trails and backcountry canoe routes remain closed.
Rainbow Beach Provincial Park will remain closed for at least another week due to wet conditions from last week’s storm. Cleanup work of debris that was pushed ashore is underway.
The following campgrounds have extended closures in place from overland flooding and wet conditions:
- Adam Lake campground in Turtle Mountain Provincial Park has a partial site closure until at least June 16;
- Birch Point Provincial Park campground and boat launch is closed until at least June 16;
- Camp Morton Provincial Park has a partial closure of group use areas until at least June 12;
- Rainbow Beach Provincial Park is closed until at least June 16;
- Rivers Provincial Park has a partial campsite closure until at least June 16;
- St. Malo Provincial Park has a partial campsite closure until at least June 16;
- Bird and Beresford Lakes campgrounds in Nopiming Provincial Park are closed until at least June 16;
- Black and Shoe Lakes campgrounds, Tulabi Falls walk-in backcountry sites in Nopiming Provincial Park will remain closed until at least June 23 and Yurt 3 will remain closed until at least June 30;
- Watchorn Provincial Park has a partial campsite closure until at least June 9;
- Big Whiteshell campground nightly campsites in Whiteshell Provincial Park will remain closed until at least June 16; and
- Otter Falls, Opapiskaw, Dorothy Lake, Nutimik Lake, Betula Lake and White Lake campgrounds in Whiteshell Provincial Park are closed until at least June 30;
Closures may be extended if flooding and wet conditions continue. Reservation holders and seasonal campers will be contacted and their fees refunded if their campsite is affected by a closure. Campers should not pre-emptively cancel reservations before being notified of a site closure, otherwise cancellation policies will apply.