November 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED LAKE MANITOBA AND LAKE ST. MARTIN OUTLET CHANNELS Maureen cousins Dozens of stakeholders – including many beef producers – turned out at a September 18 open house in Ashern to learn more about the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin outlet channels conceptual design study. “We are moving forward to implement greater flood protection by enhancing Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin outflow capacities as part of the larger flood management system that includes the Portage Diversion and the Fairford River Water Control Structure,” said Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton in a news release issued just hours before the open house. “Individual property protection, combined with increased drainage capacity of Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin, will greatly improve flood protection in these areas.” Information about six proposed outlet channel options to draw down Lake Manitoba was presented at the open house, with staff from KGS Group available to answer questions. Cost estimates for the proposed projects ranged from a low of $22 million to a high of $405 million. Also presented were two options to extend and to make permanent the emergency outlet channel on Lake St. Martin. Costs for these options ranged from $142 to $212 million. However, many people left the open house unconvinced that any of the proposed options would lead to Lake Manitoba being managed at a level that would leave valuable agricultural lands less vulnerable to future flooding. “Many producers I spoke to at the open house are not convinced that we’re going to get the needed results from any of the proposed options,” said Manitoba Beef Producers’ director Caron Clarke. “A key concern is that Lake Manitoba won’t be drawn down to the level recommended by the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Regulation Review Committee.” Clarke sat on that Committee, representing MBP. Besides being tasked with looking at the range within which the levels of Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin might be controlled, the Committee also looked at the need for more water control works. It also
recommended the construction of a second channel between Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. “The Committee had recommended that the range of operation for Lake Manitoba be lowered from the current range of 810.5 to 812.5 feet by half a foot to 810.0 to 812.0 for a period of five years,” explained Clarke. “The proposed outlet channel options will only draw down the lake level slightly, and shorten the length of time that flooding occurs, but cattle ranches along Lake Manitoba will still be flooded!” Clarke’s concerns were echoed by Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation Committee Chair Tom Teichroeb. He says the proposed conceptual designs will not flood proof Lake Manitoba as many had hoped, leaving farmers and ranchers’ operations at risk and potentially compromised. “I am concerned that the proposed outflows identified in the various options will still lead to flooding on Lake Manitoba if there is another flood event like the one in 2011,” said Teichroeb. “It goes back to what’s been said all along. Get the lake level down to what’s been recommended and ensure that outflows and inflows are balanced.” “Moreover, we’ve got to restore the capacity to handle water throughout the entire Assiniboine River system so it’s not necessary to divert so much water through the Portage Diversion and into Lake Manitoba during major flood events,” added Teichroeb.
MBP President Heinz Reimer urged governments to move swiftly on the situation. “We are at a critical point in our industry where we have tremendous opportunities to supply beef into new and expanded markets,” said Reimer. “However, repeated flood events are harming beef production in prime cattle country, forcing some producers to downsize their operations, and others to exit outright. It’s time to move forward and fix the problems so our beef industry can realize the opportunities before it. We can’t wait seven years for a solution.” There are a number of other pieces in the larger Manitoba flood management puzzle being examined. One is the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba
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Basins Flood Mitigation Study. Another is a review of the operating guidelines for provincial water control infrastructure, including the Portage Diversion, Red River Floodway and the Fairford River Water Control Structure. This was first announced in October 2013. The work will be undertaken by the Red River Floodway Regulatory Review Committee, chaired by Harold Westdal. Westdal previously chaired the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Regulation Review Committee. Former Portage
la Prairie MLA David Faurschou was recently named by Minister Ashton to undertake the public outreach on this initiative. For affected Manitoba’s beef producers, improved water management strategies can’t come quickly enough. “Beef producers want to be confidence that Lake Manitoba can be managed at a level that won’t place them at the repeated risk of flooding,” added Clarke. “We were only beginning to experience some meaningful recovery from the 2011 flood when we were
inundated again to help protect many of our fellow Manitobans from flooding. We have to find solutions that protect our homes and our livelihoods too.” Several stages remain before this project is completed. They include: aboriginal consultations; environmental and regulatory reviews; land acquisition; completion of the design; more public consultations; and, construction. For more information about the proposed options go to: www.gov.mb.ca/mit/ floodinfo/floodproofing/reports/index.html.
So What Are the Options? Preliminary Options for the Lake Manitoba Outlet Channel
Option A: Twinning of the existing Fairford River from Lake Manitoba to Lake St. Martin, crossing through the Fairford River at two locations; estimated cost is $85-134 million. Option B: Channel south of Pinaymootang First Nation, involving a new channel connecting Portage Bay on Lake Manitoba with Lake St. Martin; estimated cost is $169-266 million. Option C: A channel slightly less south of Pinaymootang First Nation, connecting Portage Bay on Lake Manitoba with Lake St. Martin; estimated cost is $151-238 million. Option D: A channel following Birch Creek, involving a new channel connecting Watchorn Bay on Lake Manitoba to the outlet of Birch Creek on Lake St. Martin; estimated cost is $141-212 million. Option E: A bypass channel north of the Fairford River Water Control Structure, and then merging with the Fairford River a short distance downstream; estimated cost is $22-25 million. Note: flows
would only reach a maximum of 3,750 cfs as greater flows are not feasible. Option F: Widening of the Fairford River and Fairford Water Control Structure, including dredging of the inlet channel; estimated cost is $239-405 million. A new outlet channel would reduce the peak Lake Manitoba water level by: • 0.24 (0.8 ft) for a 5,000 cfs channel • 0.34 (1.1 ft) for a 7,500 cfs channel
Preliminary Options for the Lake St. Martin Outlet Channel
The existing channel has three reaches. Two options have been identified for Reach 3, a new control structure and channel from Buffalo Creek to Lake Winnipeg. Option JB would involve an 8 km channel to Lake Winnipeg at Johnson Beach at an estimated cost of $142-196 million. Option WP would involve a 9.8 km channel to Lake Winnipeg South of Willow Point at an estimated cost of $153-212 million. At this time, Willow Point has been identified as the preferred option.
Source: Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Outlet Channels Conceptual Design Preliminary Options
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