High water levels at the lake, which were not helped by the snow melting downstream, are causing some concern for the municipality and landowners. According to municipal officials, declaring a state of emergency is necessary in order to trigger provincial assistance.
“It is the way we get government services,” explained Boissevain-Morton Councilor Doug Robertson. “If we didn’t, we couldn’t apply to get water damages. It is the only way we can get their products down in the area. If you wait until the water is in someone’s yard, it’s too late.”
Water is fairly high in the swollen lake and waves are pushing it over some municipal roads. Robertson said if even there were a few reeds left to slow the wind it would help. Although not as bad yet as in 2011, the municipality has put temporary closed signs over a few of the roads now, as the water is eating away at them. The situation there could change at any time.
On Monday evening, April 17, the province sent out an emergency trailer, which was parked at Pete Penner’s in the Whitewater Lake area. It has some equipment that can be used if necessary and municipal staff, fire department and volunteers are trained on how to handle a crisis, should it arise. That way everything is in place should a situation develop anywhere in the area that requires more than sandbagging.
So far, the state of emergency is mainly a precaution, and authorities are keeping an eye on the circumstances. They are asking people to use caution on roads and keep abreast of closures.
The state of emergency lasts for 30 days, and the municipality will revisit it if necessary afterward. On the more ominous side, there are weather forecasts calling for a fair amount of rain in the next two weeks.
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff
Photos by ANNA LATIMER, Recorder staff
As Whitewater Lake inches closer to Pete and Alexis Penner’s property and to the dike surrounding their farm, the threat of it breaking and flooding their yard becomes more real.
Earlier this week Boissevain-Morton declared a state of emergency in order to be ready in case the situtaiton around the lake escalates.
Penner’s yard, located seven miles northwest of Boissevain, would under normal conditions be two miles away from the north shoreline of Whitewater Lake. However, since the flood of 2011, the lake has risen on several occasions threating his farm site.
Last week Fluker Construction built up the dike, but Penner was unsure it would hold, and hoped it could be reinforced with a Tiger Dam system.
On Tuesday afternoon, April 18, two reps from Manitoba Infrastructure demonstrated how to setup a temporary dike system. Unfortunately, it was decided that for the amount of work it would take to set up and fill the tubing, it might not be worth the effort. The system does not hold well if there is strong wave action, which Whitewater Lake is known to have during high winds. The Tiger Dam system is currently being stored close by and will be used if it seems the dike will not suffice.
Manitoba Infrastructure reps from Winnipeg, Corey Rusak and Rick Madrigga, demonstrate to local volunteers how to unroll, connect and inflate the Tiger Dam dike system at Pete and Alexis Penner’s farm. The Tiger Dam system, often used in lieu of sandbags, is flood containment tubing that is inflated using any water source, that can create a barrier for miles and be made into any shape. Each tube inflates to 19 inches high and weighs 6300 lbs when filled. The system is completely reusable and is half the cost of sandbags.