June 2022

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 324.01 m (1063.0 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 7 cm (3 in) over the past week. The lake level has risen above the 2014 peak of 323.78 m (1062.29 ft) and is below the record peak since regulation began of 324.31 m (1064.0 ft), set in July of 1950. The dams in Kenora remain fully open and no additional actions can be taken to limit lake level rise.

The level of Lake of the Woods is expected to rise by approximately 3-7 cm (1-3 in) over the next 7 days, depending on the rainfall received across the region. Should weather be favourable, a peak may be reached by the third week of June followed by a gradual drop. However, a return to normal summer levels will likely take many weeks and will be delayed should there be a return to wet weather.

As the lake continues to rise, the outflow from the lake will very gradually rise. This should result in the level of the Winnipeg River between Kenora and Minaki also gradually rising, with any local precipitation adding temporarily to levels in this stretch of the river. The level rise over the next 7 days below Norman Dam and down to Minaki is expected to be 1-2 cm (1 in).  Outflow from the Whitedog dam is expected to increase very gradually as it passes the water coming from the Norman dam, plus any local inflows.

The current level of Lac Seul is 356.80 m (1170.6 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. Lac Seul inflow remains very high, resulting in a rise of 8 cm (3 in) over the past week. Lac Seul authorized outflow is 800 m³/s with no changes currently scheduled.

The main body of Lac Seul is expected to either drop by 1 cm (1/2 in) or rise by 2.5 cm (1 in) over the next 7 days depending on the amount of rainfall received.

Flows and levels on the English River downstream of Lac Seul, including the level at Grassy Narrows, are expected to continue declining as local tributary flows continue to fall.  The level of the Winnipeg River at Boundary Falls is expected to continue dropping over the coming week.

The rate of level decline on the lakes and rivers could slow if the region experiences higher than expected rainfall over the coming week.  However, the overall declining trends are not expected to change over the next week.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 323.99 m (1063.0 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 8 cm (3 in) over the past week. The lake level has risen above the 2014 peak of 323.78 m (1062.29 ft) and is below the record peak since regulation began of 324.31 m (1064.0 ft), set in July of 1950. The dams in Kenora remain fully open and no additional actions can be taken to limit lake level rise.

The level of Lake of the Woods is expected to rise by approximately 6-10 cm (2-4 in) over the next 7 days, depending on the rainfall received across the region. Should weather be favourable, a peak may be reached by mid-June followed by a gradual drop. However, a return to normal summer levels will likely take many weeks and will be delayed should there be a return to wet weather.

As the lake continues to rise, the outflow from the lake will very gradually rise. This should result in the level of the Winnipeg River between Kenora and Minaki also gradually rising, with any local precipitation adding temporarily to levels in this stretch of the river. The level rise over the next 7 days below Norman Dam and down to Minaki is expected to be 1-2 cm (1 in).  Outflow from the Whitedog dam is expected to increase very gradually as it passes the water coming from the Norman dam, plus any local inflows.

The current level of Lac Seul is 356.78 m (1170.5 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. Lac Seul inflow remains very high, resulting in a rise of 12 cm (5 in) over the past week. Lac Seul authorized outflow is 800 m³/s with no changes currently scheduled.

The main body of Lac Seul is expected to rise by 2-6 cm (1-2 in) over the next 7 days with the rate of rise continuing to slow if drier weather persists through the forecast period.

Flows and levels on the English River downstream of Lac Seul are expected to remain steady or continue declining as local tributaries have been declining over the past week.  The level of the English River at Grassy Narrows  is expected to continue dropping over the coming week if the drier weather persists through the forecast period.

The level of the Winnipeg River at Boundary Falls  is expected to continue dropping over the coming week if the drier weather persists through the forecast period.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 323.97 m (1062.9 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 11 cm (4 in) over the past week. The lake level has risen above the 2014 peak of 323.78 m (1062.29 ft) and is below the record peak since regulation began of 324.31 m (1064.0 ft), set in July of 1950. The dams in Kenora remain fully open and no additional actions can be taken to limit lake level rise.

The level of Lake of the Woods is expected to rise by approximately 5-7 cm (2-3 in) over the next 7 days, depending on the rainfall received across the region. Should weather be favourable, a peak may be reached by mid-June followed by a gradual drop. However, a return to normal summer levels will likely take many weeks, and will be delayed should there be a return to wet weather.

As the lake continues to rise, the outflow from the lake will very gradually rise. This should result in the level of the Winnipeg River between Kenora and Minaki also gradually rising, with any local precipitation adding temporarily to levels in this stretch of the river. The level rise over the next 7 days below Norman Dam and down to Minaki is expected to be 1-2 cm (1 in).  Outflow from the Whitedog dam is expected to increase very gradually as it passes the water coming from the Norman dam, plus any local inflows.

The current level of Lac Seul is 356.76 m (1170.5 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. Lac Seul inflow remains very high, resulting in a rise of 13 cm (5 in) over the past week. Lac Seul authorized outflow is 800 m³/s with no changes currently scheduled.

The main body of Lac Seul is expected to rise by 4-6 cm (2-3 in) over the next 7 days with the rate of rise continuing to slow if drier weather persists through the forecast period.

Flows and levels on the English River downstream of Lac Seul are expected to remain steady or begin declining as local tributaries have been declining over the last several days.  The level of the English River at Grassy Narrows appears to have peaked and is beginning to decline.  This trend is expected to continue over the coming week if the drier weather persists through the forecast period.

The level of the Winnipeg River at Boundary Falls near the Manitoba border appears to have peaked and is beginning to decline.  This trend is expected to continue over the coming week if the drier weather persists through the forecast period.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 323.93 m (1062.8 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 11 cm (4 in) over past week. The lake level has risen above the 2014 peak of 323.78 m (1062.29 ft) and is below the record peak since regulation began of 324.31 m (1064.0 ft), set in July of 1950. The dams in Kenora remain fully open and no additional actions can be taken to limit lake level rise.

The level of Lake of the Woods is expected to rise by approximately 3-6 cm (1-2 in) over the next 7 days, the rate depending on the rainfall received across the region. Should weather be favourable, a peak may be reached by mid-June followed by a gradual drop. However, a return to normal summer levels will likely take many weeks, and will be delayed should there be a return to wet weather.

As the lake continues to rise, the outflow from the lake will very gradually rise. This should result in the level of the Winnipeg River between Kenora and Minaki also gradually rising, with any local precipitation adding temporarily to levels in this stretch of the river. The level rise over the next 7 days below Norman Dam and down to Minaki is expected to be 1-2 cm (1 in).

The current level of Lac Seul is 356.70 m (1170.3 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. Lac Seul inflow is very high, resulting in a rise of 16 cm (6 in) over the past week. Lac Seul authorized outflow is 800 m³/s with no changes currently scheduled.

The main body of Lac Seul is expected to rise by 9-12 cm (4-5 in) over the next 7 days with the rate of rise slowing if drier weather lasts through the forecast period. The level at Hudson appear to be cresting and may begin to decline if the drier weather continues.

Manitoba Hydro has provided the following forecast information for the Winnipeg River in Manitoba.

Record precipitation over the past two months has been observed in all sub-watershed regions except for Lac La Croix and Rainy-Namakan, where 2014 was slightly greater. The inflows to these lakes, however, have been much higher in 2022 due to the later snowmelt in April and continued above-normal precipitation almost every week for the past two months.

This precipitation has led to the development of record flows in most areas of the entire Winnipeg River drainage basin in Ontario, Manitoba and Minnesota. In addition to damages such as road and bridge washouts in many areas, damage to shorelines and shoreline structures is occurring across the region on both small and large rivers and lakes. Many communities have declared states of emergency with homes, businesses, and community infrastructure such as sewage treatment plants at risk. This is a full regional flooding event that is without precedent on record, and beyond the capacity of any dams in the system to manage. Many water level gauges across the region have reported new records for lake and river water levels and river flows.

Total inflow from April 1-May 31 set a new record for all of the major lakes in the Winnipeg River drainage basin (Namakan Lake, Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods and Lac Seul).

Rainfall over the past several days once again saw a rise in tributary flows in many areas.

This added water will further delay a return to normal water levels, which could be many weeks out for most areas of the watershed.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 323.89 m (1062.6 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 10 cm (4 in) over past week. The lake level has risen above the 2014 peak of 323.78 m (1062.29 ft) and is below the record peak since regulation began of 324.31 m (1064.0 ft), set in July of 1950.

The level of Lake of the Woods is expected to rise by approximately 9-12 cm (4-5 in) over the next 7 days, the rate depending on the rainfall received across the region. With drier weather the rate of rise should slow, but timing of the peak will depend on rainfall this month. Lake of the Woods water levels will likely remain above the Legislated Operating Range for many weeks. Record lake levels are possible and will depend on rainfall across the watershed in the next couple of weeks.

As the lake continues to rise, the outflow from the lake will very gradually rise. This should result in the level of the Winnipeg River between Kenora and Minaki also gradually rising, with any local precipitation adding temporarily to levels in this stretch of the river. The level rise over the next 7 days below Norman Dam and down to Minaki is expected to be 2-4 cm (1-2 in).

The current level of Lac Seul is 356.64 m (1170.1 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. Lac Seul inflow is very high, resulting in a rise of 17 cm (7 in) over the past week. The lake is nearing the Flood Reserve, a range of water levels above the normal operating range defined by federal Order-in-Council that corresponds to a key level for dam safety concern for the Ear Falls dam. Lac Seul authorized outflow is 800 m³/s with no changes currently scheduled. The outflow has risen in recent days with lake level rise, but will be reduced to 800 m³/s on June 2.

The main body of Lac Seul is expected to rise by 11-14 cm (4-6 in) over the next 7 days with the rate of rise slowing if drier weather lasts through the forecast period.