Residents in The Pas, Manitoba, are starting to check their basements and test their pumps as they get ready for the upcoming spring flood season. Even though the province’s detailed spring flood outlook has not been released yet, people in the area are sharing tips from 2025 to make sure they are not caught off guard by rising water levels.
The Manitoba Hydrologic Forecast Centre’s Fall 2025 Conditions Report notes that soil moisture at freeze‑up was generally near‑normal to below‑normal for most basins, with some wetter areas in parts of southern Manitoba. The province’s February flood outlook language has described the overall risk as “low‑to‑moderate” for many basins. Officials caution that soil moisture, winter precipitation and the rate of melt will affect spring runoff, and local leaders and residents say they are monitoring Saskatchewan River levels early rather than waiting for ice breakup.
The Rural Municipality of Kelsey is reminding residents who live outside the main flood protection dykes — including in areas such as Carrot Valley — that they are generally responsible for secondary protection of their properties. Officials note that water levels can rise quickly following upstream reservoir releases, and community and municipal guidance encourages homeowners to check sump pumps and locate sandbag filling/distribution sites now.
The province says a more detailed spring flood outlook will be released later in February 2026. For now, officials advise monitoring snow levels and weather conditions; residents are also exchanging practical tips about how they coped with high water in 2025.
