Posted on: June 8, 2022 | Roads and Highways, Safety Alerts, Water Levels
Manitoba Parks provided the following update today.
A couple of new/ updated items:
– We expect to have more details tomorrow regarding a phased re-opening for the areas along the Winnipeg River.
– Information around beaches have been updated to be clearer regarding their status in the park. Swim lines are not at beaches but they are not barricaded with the exception of Crescent Beach adjacent to the seawall.
– Cottagers and residents looking to dispose of sandbags can empty the sand and reuse the material on their own cottage lots, or deposit into the piles at the original depot locations where materials were picked up. Please empty the bags onto the sand piles and dispose of the bags in the provided garbage containers or in your household garbage. Sand should not be dumped off docks or into waterbodies, as this is harmful to fish and other aquatic plants and animals.
Whiteshell Provincial Park: June 8, 2022
A local state of emergency has been declared for Whiteshell Provincial Park on May 20, 2022 due to rising water levels within the park. Developed areas at Betula Lake were closed on May 21, 2022. This closure area was expanded (May 24) to include Sylvia Lake, Otter Falls, Dorothy Lake, Barrier Bay and Nutimik Lake areas. It applies to all cottage subdivisions, commercial areas, campgrounds, group use, day use, recreational and picnic areas, playgrounds, trails, and beaches with within the order area. During the closure no person should reside or enter into the closure area of the park. Please be advised that you cannot visit the closed area of the park by boat. Access is not allowed to your cottage or recreational areas via the Winnipeg River. No landing in the closed area is allowed. Please visit ManitobaParks.com to see a map of the closure.
With the release of the improved forecast for the Winnipeg River, Manitoba Parks is working in conjunction with Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure on a phased plan of safe re-opening for the closure area along the Winnipeg River. More details are expected tomorrow once all the assessments and preliminary safety planning are in placed.
Falcon, West Hawk, Star, Caddy, Brereton, Jessica, White, and Big Whiteshell Lakes are reporting a decrease today. Manitoba Parks staff are working in conjunction with staff from the department of Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure to monitor lake levels and adjust control structures where possible.
Beach users in the Whiteshell Provincial Park are advised to use caution as swim buoy lines have not yet been installed in all designated swim areas and there may be submerged debris in swim areas. Crescent Beach at West Hawk Lake is closed.Crescent Beach seawall at West Hawk is barricaded and closed. Pay attention to signage, and barricades. The travel lane has been moved away from the wall and is narrow in spots, please travel slowly.
Cottagers and residents looking to dispose of sandbags can empty the sand and reuse the material on their own cottage lots, or deposit into the piles at the original depot locations: the 8 Foot Falls Road in Pointe du Bois, Jessica Lake at the garbage collection site, the parking lot across from Brereton Lake Resort, the West Hawk maintenance yard, and the causeway at Falcon Lake. Please empty the bags onto the sand piles and dispose of the bags in the provided garbage containers or in your household garbage. Sand should not be dumped off docks or into waterbodies, as this is harmful to fish and other aquatic plants and animals.
PR 307 from the west park entrance to the PR307/309 junction is closed to all traffic. PR 309 near Meditation Lake is restricted to local traffic only. PR 312 is open. We encourage everyone to checkmanitoba511.ca before travelling. You can call 511 anywhere in Manitoba to get updates by phone.
Water is present on several block roads throughout the park. White Lake Block 4 and Jessica Lake Black 5-6-7-8 is closed to vehicle use.
The following boat launches are closed in addition to those in the park closure area: 8 Foot Falls, Big Creek, White Lake, Jessica Lake, and South Shore Big Whiteshell. Public can expect open launches to be without docks, high water is preventing repair and placement of docks throughout the park.
Please use caution and courtesy when boating. All boat traffic should be cautious of debris and items submerged below the surface. Extreme caution should be used with travelling the upstream portion of the Winnipeg River (Pointe du Bois to Lamprey Falls).
To minimize potential erosion caused by boat wakes, recreational motor boat restrictions are in place. Recreational motor boat traffic is prohibited from operating within 100 metres of the shoreline on designated waterbodies. When exiting or approaching the shoreline, boats should move directly out from land and avoid creating a wake. Please check the parks website for the most current list.
The following hiking trails are closed in addition to those in the park closure area: the Marsh Trail (between Falcon Lake Marina and Beach Campground), Whiteshell River, and Hunt Lake. All backcountry campsites including the Mantario are closed due to flooding, high water conditions, and frequently changing portage conditions.
Campers should check ManitobaParks.com for the status of campgrounds prior to coming to the park. Several campgrounds have full or partial closures.
Phone Numbers/ Websites:
- Parks info line for water, flood and closures: 204-340-6769 between 8am and 6pm daily.
- To report an emergency please contact the RCMP via 911 if located in the South Whiteshell, 204-348-7177in the North Whiteshell, and 204-345-8685 in Pointe du Bois.
- Camping Information 1-888-482-2267 for the Parks Reservation Service.
- Environment, Climate and Parks General inquiry line 1-800-214-6497.
- Highway conditions: Manitoba511.ca
- Manitoba Parks: manitobapark.comfor a list of other closures.
- Manitoba Hydro Water Flow New Release: hydro.mb.ca
- DFA Information: https://www.gov.mb.ca/emo/dfa/residence.html, dfa@gov.mb.ca or by phone at 204-945-3050.
- Emergency Measure Information: gov.mb.ca/emo
