A New Flood Control For An Old Problem

“There would be minimum disruption.” – HERM MARTENS, R. M. OF MORRIS The Manitoba government has signalled its interest in digging another floodway. Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Steve Ashton said last week the province may consider diverting the Morris River to help ease chronic spring flooding of Highway 75 at Morris. That would

What Is A 100-Year Flood?

In the past 40 years, nearly all of those living in the Red River Valley have had them – 100-year floods, that is. And some have experienced flood levels considerably beyond this. The 1969 spring flood at Crookston, Minn. was just slightly less than a 100-year flood. The 1997 flood at Grand Forks, Pembina and


Floodway Makes Upstream Flooding Worse, Valley Farmers Say

“We’re a holding pond for Winnipeg.” – LORNE HAMBLIN Thick, gooey mud squishes under Lorne Hamblin’s rubber boots as he slogs through a field which should be sprouting green shoots. Instead, it’s a sea of heavy muck caused by retreating flood water and made worse by an inch of rain the day before. Hamblin stops,

Spring Floods Among Worst In History

A vast overland sea stretched across the Red River Valley this week as weary residents hunkered down behind berms and ring dikes to wait out the fourth-worst flood in Manitoba’s history. A lake up to 10 miles wide from the swollen Red River and its tributaries spread over 975 square kilometres, leaving communities and farmyards


Farmers Prepared For Flooding

“I would say 98 per cent of the people are prepared for the flood.” – DAVE WALDNER The Flood of the Century seriously disrupted Dave Waldner’s hog operation. But if it happens again, he’s ready. The ring dike around his farm east of Rosenort has been raised two feet above 1997 flood levels. Municipal water