Community and Individual Protection

  • Two major waterways flow through the Town of Souris, the Souris River and Plum Creek. In 2011, existing earth dikes in the Town of Souris were raised to offer further protection against anticipated higher water levels. These temporary flood protection works have been made permanent.
  • Community ring dikes also protect the towns of St. Lazare, Sioux Valley and Melita.
  • The Village of Elkhorn, located along Bosshill Creek, experienced recent flooding in 2011 and 2014. Permanent dikes were built along Bosshill Creek and north of Town to protect the village.
  • The Community of Wawanesa was at risk of flooding from the Souris River in 2011.  Consequently, approximately 200 metres of emergency dike was constructed above Noton Crescent to provide adequate protection for homes and the school. In 2014 improvements to the emergency dike were completed, including paving Noton Crescent to re-establish access to the school for commercial vehicles.
  • The Town of Reston has experienced overland flooding from heavy summer rainstorms as recently as 2013 and 2014. These events required enacting emergency flood activities including the building of sandbag dikes. A permanent dike on the west side of town was constructed in 2015 to protect about thirty homes from summer flood events.
  • The 2010, 2011 and 2015 Individual Flood Protection Programs initiated after the 2009, 2011, and 2014 floods, respectively, in Manitoba provided funds for the flood protection of an additional 70 individual properties in the valley.

Individual Flood Protection Initiative and Financial Assistance for Cottage Owners – Completed and Partly Completed Projects in the Assiniboine River Basin
Individual Flood Protection Initiative and Financial Assistance for Cottage Owners - Completed and Partly Completed Projects in the Assiniboine River Basin

City of Brandon

  • The Assiniboine River flows through the northern end of the City of Brandon. A mix of industrial, commercial, residential and recreational properties and facilities located within the Assiniboine River Valley floodplain, both north and south the Assiniboine River are at risk for flooding. 
  • The flood-prone properties are protected by dikes to varying degrees. Prior to the 2011 flood, the City of Brandon raised the crest of approximately 5 km (3.1 miles) of earthen dikes to the 2011 flood level on an emergency basis. Aqua Dams were also used along much of the dike to provide 0.6 metres (two feet) of free-board above the dike crest. Super sandbags were also deployed in a stacked configuration to protect some areas of the city. The Manitoba government committed to funding enhancements to permanently raise the level of protection to the 2011 flood level.
  • The permanent flood protection work, including a new dike west of 18th street, upgrades to the north and south linear dikes, upgrades to PTH 110 and improvements to land drainage have been completed.
  • Further improvements to the north linear dike and the Kirkaldy Lift Station will be completed to increase the dike crest elevation for a 2011 flood event plus 0.6 metres of freeboard.  
  • Over $26 million worth of flood protection works are being funded federally 45%, provincially 45%, and by Brandon 10%. Upgrades to PTH 110 were funded solely by Manitoba.
  • The permanent flood protection diking work helped reduce the impacts in Brandon during the 2014 summer flood, particularly when compared with the impacts caused by the flood of 2011 which was similar in magnitude.