1) Shared knowledge of past natural disasters has a major impact on preparation for future hazards. The document discusses the historical floods along the Red River in Manitoba, Canada. 2) Winnipeg built a large flood diversion channel in the 1960s after experiencing major floods, including in 1826 and 1950, to protect the city from future flooding of the Red River. 3) American communities like Grand Forks and Fargo were more vulnerable to Red River flooding until recently because they did not have the same long historical memory of floods that informed Winnipeg's early investment in flood protection infrastructure.

1. THE SOCIETAL VALUE
OF HISTORICAL AND
PALEOFLOOD RESEARCH
IN MANITOBA, CANADA
Riederalp 2018 Workshop on Disasters and Societies | Riederalp, Switzerland | March 20, 2018

2. Shared knowledge of past natural disasters
has a major — sometimes decisive — impact
on our preparation for future hazards.

3. Winnipeg, Canada

4. WINNIPEG, CANADA

5. “ ”IMMACULATELY
FEATURELESS
LANDSCAPE

6. LAKE AGASSIZ

7. Source: Morningstarphoto

8. THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH

9. 1950

10. DURING EXTREME CASES, THE FLOOD ZONE OF THE RED RIVER
CAN EXTEND 40 KM WIDE.

11. THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH

12. FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA

14. GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA

15. 1997
Source: Dr. Greg Brooks, Geological Survey of Canada

16. A FIRE IN DOWNTOWN GRAND FORKS
ENGULFED ELEVEN BUILDINGS AND SIXTY APARTMENT UNITS.

17. $3.5 B
USD

18. THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH

19. Source: E.P. Van Lochem
IN THE 1960s, WINNIPEG BUILT A 47-KM LONG CHANNEL
THAT DIVERTS THE RED RIVER AROUND THE CITY.

20. River diversion
Main channel
Source: Dr. Greg Brooks, Geological Survey of Canada

21. WINNIPEG GRAND FORKS

22. ?
WHY DID
THE LARGEST CANADIAN CITY
IN THE RED RIVER BASIN
ADOPT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF PROTECTION
WHILE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
WERE STILL RELATIVELY VULNERABLE TO FLOODING?

23. EVALUATE
VULNERABILITY
BUILD
INFRASTRUCTURE
BE MORE AWARE
OF NATURE’S POTENTIAL
A DEEP ‘RIVER MEMORY’
IS ESSENTIAL TO:

24. THE DAKOTA TERRITORY WAS THE NORTHERNMOST PART
OF THE LAND ACQUIRED IN THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE IN 1803,

25. GRAND FORKS
1870

26. WINNIPEG
1812

28. FORT GARRY, HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY

30. MAY 11826

31. WE OFTEN WISHED AND PRAYED FOR WARM WEATHER;
NOW THIS IS SENT US,
AND IT TURNS OUT THE CAUSE OF MOST SERIOUS APPREHENSION;
THE PRODIGIOUS QUALITY OF SNOW
… HAS BEEN DISSOLVED SO FAST
AS TO CAUSE THE RIVER TO SWELL WITH UNUSAL CELERITY.
“ ”
David Jones Journal
May 1826

32. MAY 31826

33. THE RIVER ROSE SIX FEET
LAST NIGHT PERPENDICULARLY ,
SEVERAL TENTS ARE NOW PITCHED UPON
THE MOST ELEVATED SPOTS:
TERROR IS STRONGLY DEPICTED
ON EVERY COUNTENANCE.
“ ”
David Jones Journal
May 1826

34. MAY 51826

35. THE RIVER
OVERFLOWED ITS BANKS
EVERY WHERE,
AND CARRIED THE ICE WITH GREAT VELOCITY
TO A GREATER DISTANCE FROM ITS COURSE,
THAN HAD EVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE
BY THE OLDEST INHABITANTS.
“ ”
Red River Journal
May 1826

36. MAY 161826

37. THE WHOLE FACE OF THE COUNTRY,
BOTH BELOW AND ABOVE OUR ENCAMPMENT
IS COVERED WITH WATER,
AND IN THIS WINDY WEATHER, LOOKS LIKE
AN IMMENSE LAKE IN A STORM.
“ ”
Red River Journal
May 1826

38. DONALD SMITH DRIVES THE LAST SPIKE
OF THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY IN 7 NOVEMBER 1885.

39. THE LARGEST FLOODS ARE KNOWN FROM HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS
AND POST HOC SURVEYS OF LOCAL ELDERS.
Source: Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship
0
60,000
120,000
180,000
240,000
2006 1996 1979 1950 2011 1861 2009 1997 1852 1826
discharge (cfs)
historical reports
river gauges

42. Estimate for 1826 discharge
Floodway capacity
1950 flood discharge
Sources: Brooks and St. George, Geomorphic Approaches to Integrated Floodplain Management of Lowland Fluvial Systems in North America and Europe (2015),
Manitoba Water Stewardship
THE FLOODWAY WAS DESIGNED FOR A FLOOD LARGER THAN THE RECENT 1950 DISASTER
PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE LONG MEMORY OF FLOODS IN THIS REGION.

43. Source: Dr. Greg Brooks, Geological Survey of Canada
1997

44. IN 2005, THE GOVERNMENTS OF CANADA AND MANITOBA AGREED TO
EXPAND THE FLOODWAY TO PROTECT AGAINST THE “700-YR FLOOD”.

46. 46
Source: St. George and Nielsen, The Holocene, 2003
1826
19

47. IN RESPONSE TO THE 1997 FLOOD, THE CITY OF GRAND FORKS
BUILT A 3-M HIGH FLOODWALL AT A COST OF $409 M USD.

50. THE RED RIVER DID NOT PRODUCE A MAJOR FLOOD AT WINNIPEG
FOR NEARLY A CENTURY BETWEEN 1861 AND 1950.
Source: Brooks and St. George, Geomorphic Approaches to Integrated Floodplain Management of Lowland Fluvial Systems in North America and Europe (2015)

51. … ALTHOUGH THE 1826 FLOOD
DEVASTATED THE FLEDGLING
RED RIVER SETTLEMENT,
IT ALSO LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
A SUPERIOR LEVEL
OF FLOOD PROTECTION
FOR MODERN WINNIPEG…
“ ”
St. George and Rannie
Canadian Water Resources Journal, 2003

52. @sco stgeorge