Storm Tracker

As of 12:00 pm Saturday, May 28:

Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure want to advise people not to travel into the Whiteshell Provincial Park area. Many highways are flooded, making travel conditions treacherous. Flood Warning in Effect for Winnipeg River and Whiteshell Lakes Area.

Hwy 71, at Maybrun Rd, there is water over the road, one lane blocked, traffic control is in place. Please use caution in the area.

Blue Lake Loop Road – Vermilion Bay, between Hwy 647 Jct and Quibell Rd is closed.

Water levels continue to inch closer to all-time records in the Lake of the Woods area, after going up another 4 inches this week.

The Lake of the Woods Control Board says Lake of the Woods has now reached 323.81 meters or about 1062 feet. That’s above the highs seen in 2014 which peaked at 323.78m, roughly 1062 ft, but below the all-time record of 324.31m or 1064 ft set back in 1950.

As the boating season begins to pick up, LOWDSA is reminding you to be cautious of debris in the surrounding lakes.  

The recent flooding has caused large amounts of debris to enter from the shores, everything from trees to lawn furniture. Boaters are asked to remove any debris from the water when they find it. 

The dock gas pumps at Bare Point Marina are closed due to high water on Lake of the Woods.

The marina says boaters looking for gas, can bring their jerrycans to the gas station on land.

It's expected that the dock gas pumps will be closed until lake levels start to recede.

On Wednesday, the Lake of the Woods Control Board said the level of Lake of the Woods had exceeded the 2014 peak and noted that the lake could soon reach the all-time high water level.

The level of Black Sturgeon Lake is slowly dropping.

Several residents along the lake have been keeping track of the water levels.

Mark Mulski, who has been providing water level updates on the East Melick Area Flood 2022 Facebook page, says Black Sturgeon Lake, near Beauty Bay, is down 13'' from the high watermark.

The level of Black Sturgeon, near James Road, is down 2.5'' this week, according to a post on the Black Sturgeon Lake Property Owners Association Facebook page.

The before/after photos below show the overland flooding on Black Sturgeon Lake.

Rain, rain and more rain. That is what Environment Canada is forecasting this weekend, into early next week.

Meteorologist Peter Kimbell, says a storm system is moving its way north from the Dakota’s into northwestern Ontario, with the majority of the rain coming on Sunday.

“Sunday and Monday is when we do expect rain. Particularly Sunday and Sunday night. I can’t really tell you when the rain will start, because there is some model variability with that front. We could be getting 15 to 20 mm of rain Sunday and Sunday night. Likely letting up on Monday.”

With water levels high across the region, boaters are being reminded to be mindful of their wake.

The Lake of the Woods District Stewardship Association (LOWDSA) says natural shorelines are at most risk with the increased water levels.

The association points to the impacts wakes can have on shoreline nests, particularly those belonging to loons, and the erosion of shorelines. 

Work to repair roads and get residents back in their homes continues north of the Kenora by-pass.

The City of Kenora says, ‘water levels have held steady over the past number of days allowing for remedial work to progress in the in the area that is 500m north of Bells Point Road.’

The city notes, ‘Engineering and Roads staff will be able to safely access the evacuated area to begin inspection and evaluation of road conditions over the coming days.’

The city anticipates that there could be unstable areas that require remediation prior to full reopening. 

Flooding across the region and the driver shortage is continuing to impact school bus routes.

The following routes have cancelled stops or delays on Friday, May 27.

Kenora

• KN13, KN15, & KN88 – all stops north of the Kenora By-pass (Hwy. 17A) will be cancelled due to road closures.

Red Lake

• RL6 – stops on Dupont Drive and Young Street east of Chelsea Street will be cancelled due to conditions on Young Street.

Dryden/Vermilion Bay

Black Sturgeon resident, Tami Radke is one of many that chose not to evacuate back on May 14, when the city shut down the East Melick and Essex Road intersection due to flooding.

Radke says she had no choice but to stay so she could protect her property on Essex Road and take care of their various animals.