LAKE OF THE WOODS – It’s hard to imagine that in Sept. that the Lake of the Wood is finally back to its near-normal summer levels.
But as of Sept 6, 119 days after rising above the legislated operating range, the Lake of the Woods remains 30 centimetres (1 foot) above normal summer targets. The Winnipeg River is over 190 centimetres (6 feet) above normal levels according to the Lake of the Woods Control Board.
The board will continue to perform a series of regular outflow reductions for both the Lake of the Woods and the Winnipeg River in an attempt to target lower levels before the end of October, which will reduce the risk of flooding after the winter.
“With regular reductions in outflow, the river will see a gradual drop in levels, providing those along the river time to adjust their docks as the river falls. Given outflow cuts from Rainy Lake, increasing evaporation, and dry medium-range weather forecasts, the level of Lake of the Woods will continue to see a sharp decline regardless of the outflow reductions,” stated the Lake of the Woods Secretariat.
Currently, the water levels in the Lake of the Woods are sitting at 323.37 metres (1060.9 feet), but those levels are expected to decline by a rate of 15 centimetres (6 inches) over the next week. The Winnipeg River is expected to decline by 17 centimetres (7 inches) below the Norman Dam and by 14 centimetres (5 inches) above the Dalles and by 10 centimetres (4 inches) at Minaki.
Lac Saul is also slowly declining. At the moment, Lac Saul is 356.42 metres (1169.3 feet), and it is expected to decease by three to six centimetres (one to two inches) over the next week.
