| Siphon News 1999 By Harold Thwaites The Red River Floodway cuts across the Seine River just south of the City of Winnipeg. When the Floodway was built, a large pipe (inverted siphon) was laid under the floodway to allow the Seine to flow under it into the city. For several years we have known that the pipe was leaking and causing diminished river flow inside the city. S.O.S. had been monitoring the siphon and keeping in touch with Manitoba Water Resources branch to encourage them to repair it. In September 1998 we noted that an adequate flow as entering the siphon but. A hydrological engineer estimated that while 8-10 cu feet of water per second was entering the inlet, no water at all was coming out the other end of the pipe. The situation had obviously worsened by the flood of 97. We contacted the Free Press which ran an article, and we sent a letter to the Water Resources branch. In February 1999 we received a letter from Water Resources stating they had inspected the siphon, and will make a decision to repair or replace it based on cost estimates. During a recent conversation with Larry Whitney, 1.3 million dollars had been budgeted for a new siphon for the Seine. This item may or may not remain in the budget depending on the party that wins the election. We expect to repair/replacement to be done within a year. We encourage anyone concerned about the river to communicate any observed problems or concerns to a member of the S.O.S. executive. In this way we can continue to protect and improve the City's best natural asset. |