Background to flood control measures in the Red and Assiniboine River Basins

Blais, Eric-Lorne; Clark, Shawn P.; Dow, Karen; Rannie, Bill; Stadnyk, Tricia A.; Wazney, Lucas

doi:10.1080/07011784.2015.1036123

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Another noteworthy diversion that divides drainage within the Seine River Watershed is the Red River Floodway (Figure a). Originally constructed between 1962 and 1968 and recently expanded in 2008 to withstand a 1‐in‐700 year flood, the Red River Floodway is the largest earth‐moving project in the world and cost $63 million dollars to build (Province of Manitoba, ; Blais et al ., submitted): It is estimated to have prevented $40 billion dollars in flood damage to the City of Winnipeg (Province of Manitoba, ; Blais et al ., submitted). An important design objective for any engineered system is to protect and preserve the natural environment (CEQ Board, ); therefore, artificial waterways such as the Seine River Diversion and other surface drains should ideally maintain or potentially improve water quality.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Spatiotemporal variability of water quality and stable water isotopes in intensively managed prairie watersheds

Untereiner

Ali

Stadnyk

2015

Hydrological Processes

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Abstract:Low-relief and highly engineered prairie landscapes present many challenges for water quality modelling. Limited investigation has been carried out to determine whether drains, canals and diversions (artificial waterways) impact water quality relative to natural or naturalized systems or to assess the value of stable water isotopes as predictor variables for specific water quality metrics. The goal of this paper is to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of water chemistry in a typical prairie watershed by (1) comparing water quality and stable water isotopic ratios between naturalized and artificial waterways; (2) evaluating the relationships between topographic and land use characteristics, water quality and stable water isotopic ratios; and (3) expressing and predicting PO 4 concentrations as a function of stable water isotopic ratios. Focus was on the 2509 km 2 mostly agricultural Seine River Watershed located in southern Manitoba, Canada. Twenty-four sampling sites located along naturalized river reaches, drains and diversions were visited once a week from May to June 2013. Surface water samples were collected and tested for physical water quality parameters and PO 4 concentrations, δ 2 H and δ 18O. Kruskal-Wallis tests show no significant differences in water chemistry among waterway types, while strong correlations were found between physical water quality parameters, PO 4 concentrations, isotopic ratios and watershed characteristics. PO 4 concentrations were successfully predicted from isotopic ratios using linear regression models. These results bear significant importance for the mostly ungauged prairie watersheds, thanks to the relative ease and lower cost of measuring stable water isotopic ratios in comparison to nutrient concentrations.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Spatiotemporal variability of water quality and stable water isotopes in intensively managed prairie watersheds

Untereiner

Ali

Stadnyk

2015

Hydrological Processes

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“…Moreover, post-processing of any type of hydrological forecast is based on the assumption of stationarity in climate, weather patterns, and hydrologic response [20,22,44]. This means that the statistical correlation between observations and forecasts during the training and verification periods should remain constant, which is not always valid in hydrology [77], and arguably may not have been the case over this study period for the UARB with two >130-year return period floods (i.e., 2011, and 2014) [78,79]. Such assumptions can introduce errors into the post-processed forecast, leading to greater uncertainty than is expected [44].…”

Section: Post-processing Effectiveness For Operational Predictionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Multi-Model Approaches for Improving Seasonal Ensemble Streamflow Prediction Scheme with Various Statistical Post-Processing Techniques in the Canadian Prairie Region

Muhammad

Stadnyk

Unduche

et al. 2018

Water

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Hydrologic models are an approximation of reality, and thus, are not able to perfectly simulate observed streamflow because of various sources of uncertainty. On the other hand, skillful operational hydrologic forecasts are vital in water resources engineering and management for preparedness against flooding and extreme events. Multi-model techniques can be used to help represent and quantify various uncertainties in forecasting. In this paper, we assess the performance of a Multi-model Seasonal Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (MSESP) scheme coupled with statistical post-processing techniques to issue operational uncertainty for the Manitoba Hydrologic Forecasting Centre (HFC). The Ensemble Streamflow Predictions (ESPs) from WATFLOOD and SWAT hydrologic models were used along with four statistical post-processing techniques: Linear Regression (LR), Quantile Mapping (QM), Quantile Model Averaging (QMA), and Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA)]. The quality of MSESP was investigated from April to July with a lead time of three months for the Upper Assiniboine River Basin (UARB) at Kamsack, Canada. While multi-model ESPs coupled with post-processing techniques improve predictability (in general), results suggest that additional avenues for improving the skill and value of seasonal streamflow prediction. Next steps towards an operational ESP system include adding more operationally used models, improving models calibration methods to reduce model bias, increasing ESP sample size, and testing ESP schemes at multiple lead times, which, once developed, will not only help HFCs in Canada but would also help Centers South of the Border.

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“…However, reporting and response efforts are enhanced by neighbourly relationships and pre-existing associations, medias, and technologies. Networks and relationships among communities, organizations, governments, and countries are now seen as essential to achieving integration and effective flood management (Blais et al., 2016; Hearne, 2007; Simonovic and Carson, 2003). However, local forms of social capital can also slow emergency response efforts (e.g.…”

Section: Case Studies: Building Capacity For Adaptation To Urban Floomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another important example of built capital, the Shellmouth Reservoir, is also used to store water during peak flow. Numerous ring dykes and property elevations protect outlying towns and buildings (Blais et al, 2016;Rannie, 2016). …”

Section: Flooding Of the Red River: Manitoba Canadamentioning

confidence: 99%

The roles of capitals in building capacity to address urban flooding in the shift to a new water management approach

Plummer

Renzetti

Bullock

et al. 2017

Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space

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Stresses on water resources are considerable and will intensify in the future due to climatic and non-climatic drivers. The emerging shift from science-based command and control 'old' water management approach to a dynamic and integrative systems view of water-a 'new' water management approach-was explored using the concept of capacity, operationalized using the livelihoods capitals approach (i.e. physical, natural, financial, human and social capitals), as a conceptual lens in a multiple case study of notable cases of urban flooding from Canada and Australia. The findings show that there are changing conceptualizations of capacity in both cases over time. Physical and financial capitals have been emphasized for decades and are associated with the old water management approach, responding to major flood events with the construction of large control structures. While the importance of these capital inputs persists, the approach to building capacity under the emergence of the new water management approach places an increasing relative emphasis on social and human capitals. The lack of emphasis on natural capital persisted over time and should be considered explicitly in flood management. This study demonstrates how the capitals approach contributes to the very much needed understanding of how the shift from the old to a new water management approach is being expressed for both present-day decisions and long-term trajectories.

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Background to flood control measures in the Red and Assiniboine River Basins

Cited by 15 publications

References 2 publications

Spatiotemporal variability of water quality and stable water isotopes in intensively managed prairie watersheds

Spatiotemporal variability of water quality and stable water isotopes in intensively managed prairie watersheds

Multi-Model Approaches for Improving Seasonal Ensemble Streamflow Prediction Scheme with Various Statistical Post-Processing Techniques in the Canadian Prairie Region

The roles of capitals in building capacity to address urban flooding in the shift to a new water management approach

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