The provincial department of transportation and infrastructure is advising the public that there’s a potential for hazardous ice conditions on rivers, lakes, drainage ditches and other water bodies such as retention ponds now that spring thaw is underway.
As daily temperatures continue to rise, the thickness and strength of the ice will deteriorate.
“Ice may appear similar to normal winter conditions but may be very thin and unable to support people or heavy objects such as snowmobiles and vehicles,” said the department in a March 30 media bulletin “Use of the rivers, lakes, waterways and drainage ditches for activities such as skiing, sledding and snowmobiling could be hazardous at this time and should be avoided. People living near waterways should be especially careful to prevent children and pets from wandering onto the ice.”
The department and its Emergency Management Organization are preparing for possible spring flooding and are working with municipal authorities, First Nations and emergency partners, states the bulletin.
The average water level on Lake Winnipeg was 712.31 feet above sea level as of April 2. At Gimli, the water level was slightly higher, at 712.52 feet, according to the province’s hydrologic forecast centre.
The maximum regulated level on Lake Winnipeg is 715 feet.
On Lake Manitoba, the average water level was 810.96 feet as of April 2, according to the forecast centre.
The maximum regulated level is 812.87 feet.
The forecast centre’s March Flood Outlook is predicting a low to moderate risk of spring flooding across most basins in Manitoba — with the exception of the Fisher River basin, which has a moderate to major risk of flooding.
The risk of spring flooding “could change depending on future weather conditions, including the amount of precipitation throughout the remainder of winter and spring, as well as the rate of snowmelt and thaw,” states the report.
