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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Mayors, reeves meet with province to discuss flooding

By: Bruce Owen

Posted: 01/15/2011 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

The Manitoba government summoned all mayors and reeves of communities in the south basin of Lake Winnipeg to a meeting Friday to discuss shoreline spring flooding and erosion.

The meeting, called by Water Stewardship deputy minister Don Norquay, was the first in what will likely be many to prepare for a spring flood and projected high water levels on the lake this spring and summer.

"Our fear right now is strictly flooding," said Steve Strang, mayor of the Rural Municipality of St. Clements. "We all really want to get to a time where we can all just stand there and watch it all go by."

He said work has already started identifying weak spots that could be prone to overland flooding caused by ice-plugged culverts, and examining what risk is posed by ice jams on the Red River. Other communities at the table included Selkirk, Gimli, Dunnottar, Winnipeg Beach and the rural municipalities of Victoria Beach, St. Andrews, Bifrost and Alexander.

Victoria Beach Reeve Tom Farrell said the immediate risk to his community is rebuilding three dikes that were topped in an October storm that also pulverized the community's beaches. Dikes built decades ago at Albert Beach, Wanasing and behind David Road need to be raised to prevent flooding.

He said what needs to be resolved is whether there will be any provincial funding to build dikes. "It's a hell of a hit for our taxpayers."

The province has already put $1.2 million on the table to help municipalities pay for feasibility studies for construction of new dikes or improvements to existing dikes.

Friday's meeting followed a public meeting Wednesday night of more than 350 Victoria Beach cottagers regarding the proposed construction of a large stone structure on one of the community's beaches to protect about a dozen lakefront cottages from high waves. A second public meeting is to be scheduled. Vicki Burns, co-ordinator of the Lake Winnipeg Watershed Initiative, said Friday's meeting should be the first step in the province taking the lead on a more uniform approach to shoreline protection on Lake Winnipeg.

Burns said besides preserving beaches and shoreline, the province also needs to get a better handle on development around the lake. Last summer, the Manitoba government intervened when it was revealed a boat channel had been dug at Beaconia without proper approval.

"These are the same issues that are constant across the landscape that we need consistent leadership on," she said.

The province signalled last year it was moving toward creating a single planning authority that would oversee the lake's drainage area and other common issues. The authority was recommended in the 2005 report Restoring the Health of Lake Winnipeg.

Burns said a larger authority to oversee the south basin won't add another level of bureaucracy or weaken local government control on land-use issues and shoreline protection.

"You can't expect every RM to have expertise on shoreline issues."

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 15, 2011 A10

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