crisis_alert
The Challenge
Spring 2026: Manitoba's Dauphin Lake region faced record snowpack levels—larger than the 2011 precursor that caused historic flooding. Cottage owners and Ochre Beach residents needed real-time flood monitoring independent of provincial forecasts, but no plain-language tool existed.
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The Solution
Built dauphinlakewatch.ca—a free, independent hydrological dashboard pulling live water level data from Water Survey of Canada every 5 minutes, 24/7. Translates federal gauge data into community-focused flood monitoring with threshold-based alerts.
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Real-Time Monitoring
- Live lake level tracking (feet ASL)
- 7-day hydrograph with trend analysis
- Updates every 5 minutes from WSC API
- Color-coded status: Normal through Flood Stage
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Basin Intelligence
- 11 monitoring stations across watershed
- 7 tributary rivers with live flow data
- Mossy River dam outflow vs. capacity
- Spring snowpack and weather context
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Alert System
- Email and SMS notifications
- Threshold-based triggers
- Sign up at dauphinlakewatch.ca/alerts
- Community-first safety tool
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Free Public Service
- No paywalls, no accounts required
- Operating 24/7 during spring melt
- Independent of provincial forecasts
- Community safety mission
System Architecture
Real-time hydrological monitoring integrating federal gauge data with community-focused alerts. Built for speed and reliability during active flood conditions.
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Data Flow
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Water Survey of Canada gauges (11 stations)
Real-time measurements across lake and tributaries
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Environment Canada OGC API
5-minute update intervals, JSON data format
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Dashboard processing engine
React frontend, real-time data parsing and visualization
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Threshold monitoring system
Color-coded status: Normal → Advisory → Flood Stage
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Alert distribution
Email and SMS notifications when thresholds crossed
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Community access
Free public dashboard, no accounts required
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Frontend Dashboard
- React real-time visualization
- 7-day hydrograph with trend lines
- Responsive design for mobile alerts
- Color-coded threshold indicators
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Data Integration
- Environment Canada OGC API
- Water Survey of Canada gauges
- 5-minute real-time updates
- Weather context integration
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Alert Infrastructure
- Email and SMS notification system
- Threshold-based triggers
- Subscriber management
- Emergency broadcast capability
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Deployment
- Netlify hosting with CDN
- GitHub version control
- Auto-deployment pipeline
- Live at dauphinlakewatch.ca
Monitoring Network
11 WSC stations across Dauphin Lake watershed providing comprehensive basin coverage:
05LJ009 (Lake Level)
05LJ007 (Turtle River)
05LJ012 (Wilson River)
05LJ005 (Vermillion River)
05LJ045 (Valley River)
05LJ010 (Mink Creek)
05LJ019 (Mossy River North)
05LJ027 (East Mossy River)
05LJ025 (Mossy River Outlet)
05LH001 (Red Deer River)
05LH005 (Ochre River)
Mission: Community Safety
This project demonstrates civic technology at its best: taking public federal data and translating it into actionable community intelligence during a crisis. When provincial forecasts spoke in technical language, Dauphin Lake Watch spoke to the people whose homes were at risk.
Why This Matters
Spring 2026 snowpack near Riding Mountain was the highest recorded in Manitoba—larger than the 2011 precursor that caused historic flooding. Dauphin Lake residents and cottage owners needed plain-language flood monitoring they could check from their phones.
The data was public. The need was urgent. No one else was building the bridge. So I did.
What Makes This Different
From SaaS to Civic Service
Unlike commercial projects (TeamSync AI, RCIC Manager), this is free public infrastructure. No business model. No revenue target. Just the recognition that technology can serve communities in crisis.
Speed in Crisis
Built and deployed during active flood conditions. When spring melt started accelerating, the community needed monitoring *now*—not after weeks of planning. Real-world urgency drives real technical decisions.