Red River Floodway helping, but water level still rose overnight in Winnipeg

The number is down from 50 properties that would have been affected before the Red River Floodway was activated Friday, channelling water around the city. (Photo: Robert Linsdell/ Flickr)

Winnipeg officials say about two dozen properties require sandbag dikes after river levels rose overnight on Friday.

The number is down from 50 properties that would have been affected before the Red River Floodway was activated Friday, channelling water around the city.

But even with the floodway, the province says the water level at James Avenue in Winnipeg rose over 30 centimetres Friday night due to an upstream ice run that created a surge of flows downstream.

The province says with the floodway’s help, water levels at could fall a few centimetres by Sunday, although it says the timing of the ice run on the Assiniboine River could result in a minor spike.

The province says temperatures across southern Manitoba are above average and warm temperatures this week are expected to continue melting and run-off.

Three rural municipalities in Manitoba declared a state of emergency on Friday due to overland flooding.