Province suggests evacuation of 30 to 40 homes in Rivers, Man., due to lack of confidence in dam

Homes downstream of the dam in Rivers, Man., should be evacuated because of concerns about the integrity of a 60-year-old dam, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler said Wednesday night.

Heavy rain that has hit the Westman area over the past three days has washed out roads and flooded streets and homes. It has also significantly increased water levels in nearby rivers.

"The Rivers Dam is facing unprecedented flows from the Little Saskatchewan River following heavy rain in the past few days," Schuler told reporters via teleconference.

"This is being done out of an abundance of caution. We cannot take chances with this incredible amount of water creating tremendous pressure on the Rivers Dam."

Schuler and crews have surveyed the Westman area over the past few days to assess the damage and help recovery efforts.

He doesn't have confidence that the Rivers Dam will hold, following an inspection by engineers, as the dam is 60 years old and the bottom of the spillway cannot be seen, Schuler said.

Both municipal and provincial staff are calculating the possible impact area, he said. Between 30 and 40 households in the municipality of Riverdale, which town of Rivers is part of, and the rural municipality of Whitehead, just west of Brandon, may be impacted.

Riverdale, Whitehead, the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis and the City of Brandon have been notified of the province's recommendation.

Municipal officials are working with the province to ensure residents downstream of the dam are aware of the situation and have places to go, Schuler said.

"If individuals have family members, or they have a home somewhere else, or they have somewhere else they can locate to, we would encourage them to do so," he said.

"If they don't, then we would help them find accommodation."

The City of Brandon does not believe evacuation is required there at this time, said Mayor Rick Chrest, but evacuation preparation notices have been handed out to hundreds of households in the city so residents are ready should an emergency arise.

The dam near Rivers, located more than 220 kilometres west of Winnipeg, holds water from Lake Wahtopanah, a lake along the Little Saskatchewan River.

A number of rivers, including the Little Saskatchewan, are above flood stage, and low-lying land near the river is affected, the province later said in a news release.

The province recommends that no one use Lake Wahtopanah.

Schuler said he believes people should leave their homes immediately, but it's up to municipal governments to execute an evacuation order.

Flooding of low-lying areas is expected for most portions of the Assiniboine River and its tributaries, although water is expected to stay below flood protection levels along most of the Assiniboine and Souris rivers.

Schuler said peak Assiniboine levels should come within five to eight days.

A flood warning has been issued for the Whitemud River as the run-off from upstream watersheds is passing through the Arden and Gladstone areas.

A high water advisory is also still in place for the Spruce Woods Provincial Park area.