The headwaters of the Lake of the Woods watershed have seen little rainfall in recent weeks. These dry conditions have prompted large reductions in outflow out of the International Dam at Rainy Lake. Inflow to Lake of the Woods will fall quickly over the next week because of these Rainy Lake outflow reductions.

The LWCB is directing daily, small flow cuts of Lake of the Woods to balance conditions on the lake and the Winnipeg River, with a particular focus on gradual changes during river spawning. This will help bring outflow in line with wider watershed conditions.

Starting Saturday, June 20, Lake of the Woods authorized outflow will be reduced by 15 m³/s daily through Friday June 26 as follows:

• June 20: 435 m³/s
• June 21: 420 m m³/s
• June 22: 405 m³/s
• June 23: 390  m³/s
• June 24: 375 m³/s
• June 25: 360 m³/s
• June 26: 345 m³/s

The Winnipeg River near Kenora is expected to fall by 3 to 4 cm (~ 1 to 1.5 inch) with each daily flow reduction. The Winnipeg River level at Minaki will not be affected by these outflow adjustments.

Conditions across the basin continue to be mainly dry, and inflows continue to decline as a result. The forecast indicates scattered precipitation across the basin, with no significant rain events expected over the next few days.  

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.96 m (1059.6 ft), a 60^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level increased by 1.7 cm (0.6 in) over the past week and is expected to remain stable or decrease by 3 cm (1 in) over the next week. Lake of the Woods authorized outflow is 450 m³/s with no changes scheduled at this time.

The current level of Lac Seul is 355.96 m (1167.8 ft), a 50^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The lake level increased by 10 cm (4 in) over the last week and is expected to increase by 3 to 7 cm (1 to 2.8 in) over the next week.  Lac Seul authorized outflow is 370 m³/s. 

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.96 m (1059.6 ft), a 60^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level increased by 5.5 cm (2 in) over the past week and is expected to increase by 2-5 cm (1-2 in) over the next week.

Lake of the Woods authorized outflow is scheduled to be reduced from 500 m³/s to 450 m³/s on Tuesday, June 16. The level of the Winnipeg River near Kenora is expected to fall by 13 cm (5 in) following this flow change. The Winnipeg River level near Minaki will not be affected by this flow change.

The current level of Lac Seul is 355.90 m (1167.7 ft), a 50^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The lake level increased by 8 cm (3 in) over the last week and is expected to increase by 4 to 6 cm (2 to 3 in) over the next week.  Lac Seul authorized outflow is 370 m³/s. 

Thunderstorms moved through the western portion of the basin yesterday, and additional thunderstorms could develop today mainly over the northern portion. The forecast indicates a return to dry conditions afterward. Inflows across the basin are expected to continue declining as the weather turns dry.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.95 m (1059.5 ft), a 60^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level increased by 5.4 cm (2 in) over the past week and is expected to increase by 5 to 7 cm (2 to 2.8 in) over the next week. Lake of the Woods authorized outflow is 500 m³/s with no changes scheduled at this time.

The current level of Lac Seul is 355.87 m (1167.5 ft), a 50^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The lake level increased by 12 cm (4.7 in) over the last week and is expected to increase by 9 to 14 cm (3.5 to 5.5 in) over the next week.  Lac Seul authorized outflow is 370 m³/s. 

In response to the declining inflows to Lake of the Woods and Lac Seul, outflow reductions at both lakes are scheduled this week.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.85 m (1059.2 ft), a 60^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level increased by 4.5 cm (1.8 in) over the past week and is expected to increase by 3 to 6 cm (1 to 2 in) over the next week. Lake of the Woods authorized outflow will be reduced to 500 m³/s on Friday, June 5^th.

This outflow reduction will cause the level of the Winnipeg River to decrease by approximately 13 cm (5 in) directly downstream of the Norman Dam and 8 cm (3 in) above the Dalles. The level at Minaki will not be affected by this flow change.

The current level of Lac Seul is 355.72 m (1167.0 ft), a 55^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The lake level increased by 12.5 cm (5 in) over the last week and is expected to increase by 12 to 16 cm (5 to 6 in) over the next week. Lac Seul authorized outflow will be reduced to 370 m³/s on Wednesday, June 3^rd.

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Join Us at the Matiowski Farmers Market!

Come visit the Lake of the Woods Control Board (LWCB) at the Matiowski Farmers Market in Kenora on June 10th!

We’ll be set up at the Jarnel Contracting Pavilion from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Stop by to meet Board members and Secretariat engineers, ask your questions, and learn more about water regulation across the basin.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Winnipeg River basin is experiencing a period of dry and very warm conditions. As a result, the previously high flows in the headwaters are returning to normal levels. As these reduced flows gradually move downstream, inflows to Lake of the Woods and Lac Seul are also expected to decline. While both lakes are still steadily refilling, outflow reductions may be required over the next couple of weeks to align with the decreasing water supply.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.85 m (1059.2 ft), a 60^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level increased by 5.6 cm (2.2 in) over the past week and is expected to increase by about 3 cm (1 in) over the next week. Lake of the Woods authorized outflow is 550 m³/s with no changes scheduled at this time.

The current level of Lac Seul is 355.64 m (1166.8 ft), a 60^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The lake level increased by 15 cm (6 in) over the last week and is expected to increase by 10 to 14 cm (4 to 5.5 in) over the next week. Lac Seul authorized outflow has been adjusted to 415 m³/s to reflect actual outflow and there are not changes scheduled at this time.

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Join Us at the Matiowski Farmers Market!

Come visit the Lake of the Woods Control Board (LWCB) at the Matiowski Farmers Market in Kenora on June 10th!

We’ll be set up at the Jarnel Contracting Pavilion from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Stop by to meet Board members and Secretariat engineers, ask your questions, and learn more about water regulation across the basin.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Last week’s forecasts from various weather agencies overestimated precipitation over the past weekend. For headwater areas to Lake of the Woods, including La la Croix and Seine River, the smaller rainfall totals have allowed for high river levels to peak and start receding.

These high flows have led operators at dams at Rainy Lake and Namakan Lake to ramp up outflow to high spring levels in compliance with directives from the International Joint Commission’s Water Levels Committee. The Lake of the Woods Control Board has no authority over these flows, but is in close communication with this committee and is adjusting outflow from Lake of the Woods proactively in response to upstream conditions. Lake of the Woods outflow was increased from 475 to 550 m³/s on Tuesday, May 19. No further flow changes are currently scheduled. Should wet weather return, further increases are possible.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.79 m (1059.0 ft), the median or 50th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 6 cm (about 2.5 in) over the past week, and is expected to rise by 4-6 cm (about 2-2.5 in) over the next week. The level of the Winnipeg River between Kenora and Whitedog is not expected to change over the next week.

At Lac Seul, inflows from Lake St. Joseph continue to rise with the tail end of snowmelt happening in that basin. Very high flows from tributary rivers to Lac Seul near Sioux Lookout, the English River and the Sturgeon River, have peaked and should begin to drop with the drier forecast. Inflow to Lac Seul will remain seasonally high this month, regardless of additional rain amounts.

The current level of Lac Seul is 355.47 m, 1166.2 ft, which is 60th percentile for this time of year. The lake level increased by 20 cm (8 in) over the past week and is expected to rise by a similar amount over the next week. Lac Seul authorized outflow will be increased from 350 to 400 m³/s on Thursday May 21.

A number of website visitors have reported issues accessing up-to-date graphs and reports on the Basin Data page using Android devices. To address this issue, the Secretariat has updated links to these graphs and reports. All links to products as listed on the Basin Data page are correct, but those accessing individual graphs and reports using bookmarks will need to update their bookmarks to open the latest graphs going forward.

Have you noticed? We have a new way for you to share what you are observing in the Winnipeg River Basin. Right here, on our Noticeboard page, is a new button:

We rely on you to be our eyes on the ground and communicate what you are observing. This helps the LWCB better understand the impacts of its regulation decisions and inform its strategies to balance all interests.

We’re listening—tell us what you’re seeing!

Dry conditions over the past week have helped ease flows in the Winnipeg River basin, particularly in the headwaters where tributary flows remain well above normal for this time of year. The dry and warm weather is expected to persist until Sunday, after which a shift in the weather pattern is forecast. A low pressure system will move across the region on Monday, bringing significant moisture in the form of widespread precipitation and embedded thunderstorms. Although the exact track of the system is still uncertain, the rain is expected to linger for a couple days and be heavy at times.

This precipitation will halt the declining flows and cause inflows to the major lakes to increase over the coming week. Although both Lake of the Woods and Lac Seul are still refilling, continued gradual outflow increases are required to slow the rate of lake level rise. The LWCB is monitoring conditions closely and using the adopted Regulation Strategy to guide operations in consideration of the various interests across the basin.

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.73 m (1058.8 ft), a 50^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level increased by 7 cm (2.8 in) over the past week and is expected to increase by 8 to 15 cm (3 to 6 in) over the next week. Lake of the Woods authorized outflow will increase to:

• 475 m³/s on Friday, May 15^th
• 550 m³/s on Tuesday, May 19^th

Each of these flow increases will cause the level of the Winnipeg River to increase, with a total level rise of approximately 32 cm (13 in) directly downstream of the Norman Dam and 17 cm (7 in) above the Dalles. The level at Minaki will not be affected by this flow change.

The current level of Lac Seul is 355.26 m (1165.5 ft), a 60^th percentile level, within the normal range for this time of year. The lake level increased by 23 cm (9 in) over the last week and is expected to increase by 18 to 25 cm (7 to 10 in) over the next week. Lac Seul authorized outflow will increase to:

• 300 m³/s on Friday, May 15^th
• 350 m³/s on Tuesday, May 19^th

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The LWCB Basin Data page will not be updated on Monday, May 18^th (Victoria Day in Canada). Daily data updates and publication will resume on Tuesday, May 19^th.

Lac Seul is refilling quickly and to manage level rise while inflow to the lake continues to climb, an outflow increase to 250 m³/s is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12^th.