The city was not "almost lost" in 1997. The province squeeked the water through using only the lower deck that carries 90,000cu/ft sec.  The Red River was maxed to 110,000cu/ft sec. Dynamiting the bridges crossing the Red River floodway diversion and clay sealing the upper deck openings they passed through would have provided an additional 25,000cu/ft sec. of capacity if need. The 48 km floodway diversion around Winnipeg was enlarged by 25%  and the new bridges are now domed in shape to accommodate a one in 750 year event. Both the original construction and the expansion were 50/50 cost shared between the provincial/federal governments.

The original system is extensive and protects the majority of urban centres of Manitoba as far as the Sask border. Eg. Shellmouth dam/reservoir.  Recent unregulated draining of slews, marshes and lowlands by Sask farmers is responsible for the rare but recent breaches of defences of rural communities in western Manitoba, and particularly North Dakota.