Water problems along the Seine River from its origin to Ste Anne.

Today, Roland Chaput, Lawrence Lacoste and Richard Gregoire took me to see the situation along the Seine River from its origins to Ste. Anne.

There are several small streams which join to form the Seine River. One of these is shown in the top photo. The water here was pretty clear when we were there today.

However, because of major increases in the amount of the watershed that has been drained, the runoff now occurs much faster than before. The result is much more flooding along this section of the river than before. For example, Roland Chaput and his family farmed along the Seine River for many years. For 36 years they did not have problems, and then starting in 1997 there has been flooding every year since then except 2003. It is also easy to see the increase in sand and silt deposited in places along the river (middle photo).

Others like Hubert and Joan Chaput now, with high water, have to take a boat to get to their home which they never had to do before.

One of the problems is severe erosion and significant widening of the river in places. One such place is near Richard Gregoire's home. Here there was fifteen feet in front of this building (bottom photo) and the river. Now, the river has moved to undercut the building and the building is only present where it is because of extensive joisting to prop it up near the river. As it is, many trees along this bank have been falling into the river as it erodes the shore.

Of note, because phosphorous is sediment associated, the erosion and increased peak flows shown here are associated with higher phosphorous loading of the river and as a result increased phsophorous going toward Lake Winnipeg. Poor water management under Tory and NDP stewardship has been contributing to the phosphorous loading and algal blooms on Lake Winnipeg.

Lake Riviera, just east of Ste. Anne, Manitoba is an example of the problems. When it rains, the water accumulates too quickly, and sometimes flows over the road. This did not used to be a problem as it is now. It has got worse becasue major drainage efforts result in the water arriving more quickly at Lake Riviera and causing high peak water levels. There have been a series of culvets controlling flow out of the lake for some time. However in recent years, becuase the water rises so rapidly after a rain, more culverts have been put in. Although this may have somewhat improved the situation upstream, it has results in flooding downstream. This is no good and is not a long term solution. There needs to be an effort make to hold back or retain water (as along the South Tobacco Creek), so that the peak flow is less and the peak water levels are not as high. Laurie Evans, the local councillor, is working on this. But a combination off insufficient provincial funding and insufficient provincial enforcement of existing rules in relation to drainage efforts in the area are slowing progress.

As Liberals, we have been talking for some time about the need for a more balanced approach to water managemetn in which investments are made in small dams to create small water bodies holding back water, as is happening along the South Tobacco Creek near Miami. This approach has been shown to decrease peak flows, to decrease farmland flooding and to decrease damage to road and culvert infrastructure. It is time to make the investments needed, and to have the water management policy to support this approach.

[Follow up note - April 2010. I was in the Seine River area and chatted with Roland Chaput. The situation appears to have improved somewhat in part because of some efforts to hold back water, and in part because of efforts by people like Hubert Chaput to remove trees which fall into the Seine River so that additional debris does not build up there and hold back water in the river itself in a way that can contribute to flooding.]