Hardships faced by farmers in the Red River Valley during the spring flood of 1997 are well known.
The struggles of southwestern Manitoba farmers hit by floods in 1999 are also well understood.
But there’s a smaller group of farmers hurt by spring high waters whose plight has fallen out of the public eye.
About 150 farmers in the Assiniboine River Valley are still trying to recover from flooding that damaged 40,000 acres in 1995 when spring runoff overwhelmed the river.
“You want to write a book? I could tell you horror stories from ’95,” said rancher Cliff Trinder from Millwood, Man.
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This winter, 1.5 metres of snow have fallen onto already-moist ground in the valley. It’s not surprising they are paying close attention to the first forecast for spring flooding from the Manitoba government.
Manitoba Conservation said western Manitoba has the greatest potential for flooding this spring because of heavy rain in November and heavy snow cover.
With normal weather, the department expects the Assiniboine River to peak several metres lower than in 1995.
Its tributaries will likely flood too, particularly the Little Saskatchewan and Oak rivers and Birdtail Creek.
“If we’re lucky, we’ll have a non-event,” Trinder said.
But like many farmers who have land along the upper Assiniboine River, he’s prepared for the worst.
He has made sure his cattle and hay are far uphill from the 26 kilometres of river running through his 32 quarters.
In December, landowners along the river from Russell to Brandon successfully lobbied the province to increase the flow of water held back by the Shellmouth Dam at the top of the river.
Last month, they met with cabinet ministers to talk about concerns.
They are particularly worried about how drainage in Saskatchewan affects their land.
In 1995, Trinder saw cattle marooned in pastures and feed supplies ruined when water rose at the end of April and stayed high well into July. He remembers people catching metre-long jackfish in sloughs in July that year.
“That’s how unnatural that flood was, so I’m really scared of the next one.”
Valley farmers are used to some flooding, he said, explaining it normally happens when the land underneath is still frozen.
But the 1995 flood left lasting scars on fields and pastures because the soil had thawed.
The waters rose in the middle of a provincial election that returned the Progressive Conservatives to power for a third term.
“The timing was awful because we made stupid decisions up here based on political promises,” Trinder said.
Farmers thought they would get compensation, but little arrived.
Federal-provincial disaster assistance provided a maximum of $30,000 for buildings, fences and livestock. The cap was increased to $100,000 in 1997 when the Red River flooded.
Unlike the 1999 flood, when farmers received $50 per acre for land they couldn’t seed, Assiniboine River Valley farmers received no help.
Trinder has lost close to 1,000 acres in hay and forage stands after water ran over them for two months.
He figures he’s spent $70 per acre to rejuvenate those fields. He pegs his total flood costs at more than $230,000.
“I’m still trying to get over it.”
