Southern Manitoba anxious for rain

Several communities in southern Manitoba are feeling the stress of a bone-dry spring that’s parched the soil and put a damper on many people’s warm-weather activities.

The Canadian Drought Monitor — the official source for monitoring and reporting of drought in Canada — shows several parts of the province in the grips of a severe dry weather that’s been building for months.

Environment and Climate Change Canada says the Winnipeg area is experiencing the driest start to the year since it began keeping records about 140 years ago.

Since January, the region has only received about a quarter of what’s considered normal precipitation.

Long-range forecasts indicate significant rainfall isn’t expected for about two more weeks.

Federal agriculture officials say a drought like the one Manitoba is experiencing happens about once in every 10 to 20 years.

“They just can’t buy a drop a rain. It’s almost as if nature has forgot how to precipitate in that area and nothing seems to be on the horizon,” said Environment and Climate Change Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.

In Niverville, about 40 kilometres south of Winnipeg, low reserves have prompted a ban on the use of water for such things as hot tubs, pools or lawn watering in the town of 5,000. The situation is so serious that a bylaw officer is going door to door warning people about the ban.

“We’re trying to think of ways to get it (the lawn) watered without using our hose, joking about getting bottled water,” said property owner Cassandra Turcotte.

Head professional Brendan Baldwin at Niverville’s Old Drover’s Run Golf Course said the dry and windy spring has made for a “tough” course. The club has been relying on extra chemicals and water from retention ponds to spruce things up.