International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board Water Levels Committee Announces Initial Spring Water Level Targets for Rainy and Namakan Lakes
The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB)’s Water Levels Committee (WLC) established initial spring water level targets for Rainy and Namakan Lakes on March 10, 2026.
The initial Water Levels Committee directive to operators will be to regulate outflow from the lakes in March to target April 1 water levels within the following range: 25% to 75% band of the standard rule curve for Rainy Lake and the 40% to 75% band of the rule curve for Namakan Lake. The WLC will monitor conditions and precipitation forecasts over the coming weeks and provide further directions for lake level regulation as needed.
The initial spring water level targets were established based on an evaluation of current conditions, including the following factors:
- Persistent drought in the basin due to dry fall conditions.
- Baseflows in Rainy and Namakan Lakes are below normal for this time of year.
- Snowpack and snow water equivalent are slightly below normal in the west portions of the basin and increase to normal amounts in the eastern headwaters of the basin on both sides of the border.
- Frost depth is variable and could enhance spring snowmelt runoff.
- Longterm forecasts indicate below normal temperatures and equal chances of above and below normal precipitation.
- National Weather Service forecasts for US rivers indicate low risk of spring flooding
A virtual public information session was held on March 2, 2026 that provided a summary of basin conditions and seasonal forecast information and gave residents in the basin the opportunity to share observations and concerns.
For up-to-date information on water levels decisions and other updates from the IRLWWB, you can sign up for notifications right to your inbox with the Board’s new notification system. To sign-up visit the website address: https://www.ijc.org/en/rlwwb/watershed/data.
Associated Links
- Sign-up for email notifications on International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board updates and Water Level Notices
- International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board
- Rule Curves and Temporary Orders
- Key Roles and Responsibilities for Binational Water Management of Water Levels in the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed
Contacts
Matt DeWolfe (Engineering Advisor, Canada)
Abby Moore (Engineering Advisor, United States)
International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board