KENORA – Following a review of the latest data and forecasts, the Lake of the Woods Conservation Board has canceled the outflow increase to 1200 m³/s tentatively planned for today. Authorized outflow remains at 1100 m³/s, roughly 90 % of the maximum flow rate possible at the current lake level.
The outflow increases of last week continue to work their way through the Winnipeg River system. The level below Norman should be close to leveling off following today’s rainfall. The level at Minaki is still expected to rise by a foot or more this week before leveling off, roughly 3 feet higher than the level of a week ago.
Conditions remain very wet, with high inflow entering Lake of the Woods and the lake level continuing to slowly rise.
The level of Lake of the Woods is approximately 20 cm below the threshold where the International Lake of the Woods Control Board is activated and its approval is required by for any decisions of the Canadian LWCB with respect to Lake of the Woods outflow.
Outflow from Rainy Lake remains roughly triple the rate normally seen at the end of September. A 10% reduction in Rainy Lake outflow is scheduled for tomorrow by the dam operator in Fort Frances.
The remaining portion of the inflow to Lake of the Woods is largely from the local watershed, small tributaries and wetlands and rainfall falling directly on the lake over the past week. Should dry weather develop, it is expected that this flow will decline sharply. However, given the saturated conditions, any additional rainfall will contribute to runoff and additional inflow.
The LWCB will continue to monitor conditions closely and determine if further outflow increases are warranted this week. The outflow is expected to remain high throughout October under all precipitation scenarios.
