Ice jams deepen flood fears in St. Martin, Man.

An ice jam is dredging up fears of a 2011-level flood for some people living in Manitoba's northern Interlake.

The Fairford River is high and jammed with ice, according to residents of Fairford, Man. The river, which spills into Lake St. Martin, is also causing concern for the few folks that still live in St. Martin.

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"These last two days to see the water come up again, it's been tough," said Marla Kolomaya, who lives in St. Martin with her husband Scott, a rancher.

Scott told CBC he had to rush to move cows on his property in recent days after a flood of water hit his property.

"It's stressful because you have to look after your animals to the best of your ability and that happened very quickly, like one afternoon all of the sudden the water's busting through the ice flowing back down the ditch."

'Giant skating rink'

The water has since frozen.

It's turned it into a giant skating rink and you can't leave animals on ice like that," he said.

Scott said a nearby marsh and ditches are full with frozen water.

People living on the Fairford First Nation are keeping a close eye on water levels too.

Band member Clifford Anderson said water has touched the Fairford Bridge in recent days, which is rare. There's concern some areas of the community, which flooded in 2011, could again be washed out.

'Wait and see'

"It's kind of wait and see kind of thing now," he said.

Anderson said he's hoping the water will recede but the current situation is startling to resemble what happened when floodwaters destroyed his home almost six years ago.

"Basically it looks the same as it did in the fall of 2011."

Anderson is one of several plaintiffs who are part of a class-action lawsuit suing the province for damages caused by the 2011 flood.

The plaintiffs from Pinaymootang (Fairford), Little Saskatchewan, Dauphin River, and Lake St. Martin first nations allege the province deliberately flooded their communities and are claiming $950 million in damages.

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The province previously fought back against the lawsuit and denied responsibility for the 2011 flood, but also said that if it was responsible, so were the victims.

CBC has reached out the Manitoba government for comment about the ice jam but is still waiting for a response.