Analyzing the geographical impact of water control structures and the 2011 "Super Flood" of Manitoba on Lake St. Martin First Nation using historical aerial photos, light detection and ranging data, and geographical information system
Date
2017
Authors
Geebu, Raghavender
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Abstract
To protect the City of Winnipeg from a devastating flood in 2011, the Manitoba government diverted flood water to Lake Manitoba and then to Lake St. Martin, which is 225 kilometers northwest of Winnipeg. This artificial diversion of water displaced Lake St. Martin First Nation (LSMFN) permanently. Historic water level data analysis of Lake Manitoba was conducted and LIDAR data, GIS tools were used to find key contributors of the constant artificial flooding over the years at LSMFN. GIS raster analyses estimated that approximately 1200 acres of land was lost in LSMFN from the time of inception of the Fairford River Water Control Structure (FRWCS) in 1961 and the Portage Diversion (PD) in 1970. Diverting water through these structures over many years caused repeated artificial flooding of Lake St. Martin. First Nation communities should be involved in government’s water management policies and gain compensation for loss of land and livelihoods.
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Keywords
Lake St. Martin, LIDAR, GIS, Aerial imagery,