Although parts of the basin received some rainfall over the last few days, much more rain is needed to return to normal flow conditions. As inflow to Lake of the Woods continues to drop, outflow reductions are scheduled to maintain a balance between the lake level and the level of the Winnipeg River.
The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.83 m (1059.13 ft), a 30th percentile level, in the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level decreased by 3 cm (1 in) over the last week and is expected to decline by 1 to 3 cm (0.5 to 1 in) over the next week. Lake of the Woods authorized outflow will be reduced to 350 m3/s on Thursday, June 19th and to 300 m3/s on Sunday, June 22nd.
These outflow reductions will cause levels along the Winnipeg River to decrease by 16.5 cm (6.5 in) below the Norman Dam, 12 cm (4.7 in) above Kimberley Rapids and 7.5 cm (3 in) at the Dalles. Levels at Minaki will not be affected by these flow changes.
The current level of Lac Seul is 355.66 m (1166.8 ft), a 20th percentile level, below the normal range for this time of year. The lake level increased by 6.3 cm (2.5 in) over the last week and is expected to increase by 5 to 8.5 cm (2 to 3.3 in) over the next week. Lac Seul authorized outflow is 100 m3/s with no changes scheduled.