Dauphin River hit by flooding

A third Manitoba community is being flooded because of ice jams and frazil ice.

Dauphin River First Nation is the latest to be hit by high waters, which have forced officials to shut down Highway 315 in the immediate area, said Manitoba Water Stewardship spokesman Steve Topping.

No homes in the area have had to be evacuated.

Dauphin River is located about 250 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

Meanwhile, thecommunity of Waterhen, about 300 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg,is in a state of emergency because of flooding caused by ice jams.

Highway 328, one of the main roads leading into Waterhen and nearby Mallard, was closed Sunday evening after the Waterhen River rose above the bridge.

Ice jams also forced up the levels of the Shoal River, between Pelican Rapids and Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, about 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

About 30 homes in Sapotaweyak have been evaucated whilesome people in Pelican Rapids and Waterhen have alsobeen forced from their homes.

Topping saidtheissue in those communitiesshould subside with colder weather "but theconcern is that water levels will freezeat this height," he said.

The province has sent out an Amphibex icebreaking machine best described as a floating backhoe that can break up solid ice and ice jams to Waterhen but it hasn't arrived yet.

An Amphibex has been working near Sapotaweyak since the weekend and the water level has dropped somewhat, said Paul Guyader, director of operations for Manitoba's Emergency Measures Organization.

However,the level is still about 25 centimetres from the deck of a bridge that is critical to accessing the community.