Manitoba communities along Red River keeping close eye on river levels, ice jams

Communities north of the city along the Red River are keeping a close eye on the rising river levels and ice jams moving downstream.

Communities north of the city along the Red River are keeping a close eye on the rising river levels and ice jams moving downstream.

“The high water events affect some of our assets that are along the waterfront, for one,” Selkirk mayor Larry Johannson told Global News.

“There’s a couple of seniors’ blocks there that we look after, so we’re protecting them and our Selkirk Park.”

A major ice jam that was pushing against the Selkirk bridge Wednesday has now moved on overnight, causing water levels to fluctuate.

“It went down two feet and then ironically it went up two feet almost right away because of the water coming from the south,” Johannson said.

A provincial worker told Global News between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning, the water levels rose 1.75 metres on the Red River near Sugar Island, just north of Selkirk.

Johannson says while there is no threat to properties in the Selkirk area, he does have some concern about what may happen if the ice jam reaches communities downstream.

“The only thing I worry about is our neighbours on Netley Creek. Netley Creek is an area that’s prone to flooding,” he said.