LAUDER, Man. – Ken Atkinson had good cause to curse last weekend while working in a pasture that borders the Souris River.
Mosquitoes and black flies were harassing his cattle, heavy rains had made some of his fields impossible to seed and the river continued to cover much of his hayland and pasture.
“It’s a hell of a mess,” said Atkinson, who farms in southwestern Manitoba. “I’ve got fences to no end under water.”
With much of his pasture submerged by the river, Atkinson was forced this month to haul hay to his cattle. Last weekend, he was preparing to move part of his herd elsewhere to forage for feed.
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Atkinson figures the Souris River covers about 250 acres of his land. He can only wonder how soon the high waters will subside.
“It’s just an ocean,” he said last Saturday. “There’s still no sign of when it’s going to be out of here.”
There were warning signs in late March that the Souris River would pose a menace to farms along its banks.
Many of the worst-affected farms are between the Canada-United States border and Hartney, Man.
Val and Clair Manshreck are among those with land swamped by the river. The river covers almost a section of their land, including a big part of their hay supply.
Val doubts they will get much use from their flooded fields this year, although the river may prove useful during the winter months.
“It’ll just be one big skating rink,” she said.
The Manshrecks own a 200-head cow-calf operation. With much of their land under water, Val believes they will have to sell part of their herd.
When interviewed last week, she was worried about hay and straw for the coming winter. Farmers in the area have had trouble seeding their crops because of excess moisture. That could crimp the local straw supply.
“It’s kind of scary,” Manshreck said. “We’re hoping the government will come up with something to help us out.”
