Red River Valley flood risk assistance
Forecasts from both the Province of Manitoba and the CWB’s weather and market analysis department anticipate flooding in spring, 2009, for the Red River Valley south of Winnipeg.
The CWB is proactively implementing a program to assist more than 400 farmers who may be in danger of losing their accepted, on-farm grain due to forecasted flooding in the Morris and Letellier areas of the Red River Valley.
The CWB is coordinating additional rail cars into the Red River Valley to clear space in elevators so that affected farmers can deliver their accepted Series A and B grain. Affected farmers will be notified of the advance call by letter, which will likely be received the week of March 16.
The Manitoba government’s Spring Flood Outlook, released Feb. 19, said there is a high potential of spring flooding in the Red River Valley. Given average weather, flooding would be similar to 2006 and 1996 flood levels. The Red River Valley is unique, in that it is an extremely wide floodplain with significant grain storage.
