Red River Floodway, Flood bypass in Winnipeg, Canada
Red River Floodway is a flood bypass east of Winnipeg that runs about 48 kilometers through farmland and outer edges of the city. The system includes a wide channel with inlet structures, control works, and raised earth embankments that together form an alternate route for the river.
The provincial government commissioned construction in the early nineteen sixties after several spring floods submerged large parts of Winnipeg. The channel opened in 1968 and has since prevented millions in damage during many high water events.
Opponents of the project derisively called it "Duff's Ditch" after Premier Duff Roblin, whose government initiated it. As the floodway repeatedly protected Winnipeg, the nickname became affectionate. The name still appears in local conversation and signage.
Visitors can walk along embankments and service roads that offer views of the wide channel in certain sections. The control structures near the north entrance are visible from the road when water passes through them.
The control gates are not on the floodway channel at all: they sit on the Red River as it enters Winnipeg, rising out of the river bed to restrict flow into the city. The backed-up water then spills into the adjacent floodway entrance. The West Dike near Brunkild, not the channel, limits how much water can be diverted.
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