Inflow to Lake of the Woods has dropped extremely quickly, going from 80th to 40th percentile over the last week. The lake level has also declined rapidly coming down as much as 13 cm (5 in) over the last week and now sitting in the normal range. Weather forecasts for the Winnipeg River basin are hot and relatively dry for the next week. Therefore, to slow Lake of the Woods level decline, and balance outflow with inflow, additional outflow reductions are required next week.
The current level of Lake of the Woods is 323.08 m (1059.9 ft), an 55th percentile level, in the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level decreased by 12 cm (4.5 in) over the last week and is expected to decrease by 4 to 7 cm (1.5 to 2.5 in), over the next week. Lake of the Woods authorized outflow will decrease to:
- 875 m3/s on Friday, August 16th
- 825 m3/s on Monday, August 19th
- 775 m3/s on Wednesday, August 21st
- 725 m3/s on Friday, August 23rd
The scheduled outflow reductions will cause levels along the Winnipeg River to decline as follows:
- Directly downstream of the Norman Dam: 15 cm (6 in) with each outflow reduction, 74 cm (29 in) total drop by August 23rd
- Above the Dalles: 11 cm (4 in) with each outflow reduction, 51 cm (20 in) total drop by August 23rd
- Minaki: 10 cm (4 in) with each outflow reduction, 50 cm (19.5 in) total drop by August 23rd
The current level of Lac Seul is 356.41 m (1169.3 ft), a 35th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level increased by 2 cm (1 in) over the past week and is expected to remain stable over the next week. Lac Seul authorized outflow is 350 m3/s with no changes scheduled.