Posted on: June 9, 2022 | Roads and Highways, Safety Alerts, Water Levels
Manitoba Parks provided the following update today.
Whiteshell Provincial Park: June 9, 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.
As of June 10 at 1pm the closure will be rescinded for the following areas only: Sylvia Lake, Eleanor Lake, Otter Falls, Dorothy Lake, Barrier Bay, and Nutimik Lake. PR 307 will be opened to local traffic for permanent residents, cottagers and public staying in the resorts. Recreational infrastructure will remain closed in this area including: boat launches, campgrounds, group use, day use, recreational and picnic areas, playgrounds, trails, and beaches.
Betula Lake subdivision will remain closed until the water recedes on the highway and allows for safe access. During the closure no person should reside or enter into the closure area of the park. Please visit ManitobaParks.com to see a map of the closure.
The re-opened portion of PR307 will be marked as local traffic. Portions of the road have been gravelled to raise the grade above the water. Signal lights, signage, and reduced speeds will be in place at these locations. Please drive to conditions.
Water is present on several block roads throughout the park. The following block roads are flooded and barricaded:
– Eleanor Lake – Block 2, the east entrance Block 3, and access for Lots 1 to 4 on Block 3,
– Otter Falls – Block 1, Block 2-3, and Block 4,
– Barrier Bay – Block 1,
– Nutimik Lake – Block 1
You may be able to access properties in this area by foot or canoe. Please do not block roads or driveways when parking a vehicle at these barricades.
Jessica Lake Block 5-6-7-8, and White Lake Block 4 are open but should not be crossed in a smaller vehicles until the water recedes. Caution should be used when travelling through flooded areas.
Water levels continue to improve in all areas south of the Winnipeg River. 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. A log was removed from the control structure at West Hawk this morning.
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 into the piles at the original depot locations: the 8 Foot Falls Road in Pointe du Bois, Otter Falls Ball Diamond, Nutimik Boat Launch across from the maintenance yard, 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.
General information about returning and cleaning up after a flood can be found online here: www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/spring_outlook/after_flood_booklet.pdf.
The Dorothy Lake pumphouse is closed. Nutimik water filing station is open but under a boil water advisory for consumption.
PR 309 near Meditation Lake is restricted to local traffic only. Work has been started on PR309 to repair the road, but the larger potholes need additional repair as they start to dry. We encourage everyone to check manitoba511.ca before travelling. You can call 511 anywhere in Manitoba to get updates by phone.
The following boat launches are closed in addition to the Betula closure area: 8 Foot Falls, Big Creek, Otter Falls, Opapiskaw, Dorothy, Block 1 Nutimik, New Nutimik, 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 shorelines on West Hawk, Falcon, Caddy, Star, Brereton, Jessica, White, Big Whiteshell, Betula, Nutimik, Dorothy, Margaret, Eleanor, and the shoreline adjacent to the Pointe du Bois subdivision. 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: Pine Point, Forester’s Footsteps, Bannock Point Petroforms, TCT from White Lake to the west park gate, red suspension bridge trail to Sturgeon Falls, 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. Otter Falls, Nutimik, Dorothy, Opapiskaw, and Betula Campgrounds are closed to both nightly and seasonal camping at this time. Big Whiteshell campground is closed to nightly camping.
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, 204-348-7177 in 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.com for 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
- After a flood: www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/spring_outlook/after_flood_booklet.pdf