▁c ott agers , ▁in ▁places ▁like ▁T win ▁L akes ▁Beach ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁allow ▁the ▁sand ▁to ▁build ▁up ▁d unes ▁around ▁veget ation ▁as ▁it ▁would ▁in ▁a ▁dr ought . ▁ ▁Also , ▁in ▁times ▁of ▁high ▁water ▁on ▁the ▁Ass in ib o ine ▁River , ▁the ▁Port age ▁D ivers ion ▁is ▁opened ▁normally ▁diver ting ▁up ▁to ▁, ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁designed ▁channel ▁capacity , ▁of ▁water ▁into ▁the ▁lake ▁that ▁would ▁otherwise ▁be ▁directed ▁towards ▁W inn ip eg ▁and ▁the ▁Red ▁River . ▁ ▁This ▁has ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁resulted ▁in ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁lake ▁levels ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁most ▁evident ▁case ▁was ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁flo od ▁on ▁the ▁Ass in ib o ine ▁River ▁( ▁of ▁water ▁di vert ed , ▁ ▁direct ▁rise ▁in ▁water ▁levels ). ▁This ▁was ▁passed ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁volume ▁of ▁water ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁as ▁the ▁Port age ▁D ivers ion ▁took ▁on ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁in ▁a ▁des perate ▁attempt ▁to ▁prevent ▁major ▁flo oding ▁down stream . ▁Also ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁Port age ▁D ivers ion ▁was ▁longer ▁than ▁ever ▁before ▁in ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁operation ▁from ▁April ▁ 6 ▁to ▁August ▁ 5 ▁running ▁for ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 2 2 ▁days ▁due ▁to ▁continued ▁precip itation ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁summer . ▁ ▁After ▁closing ▁on ▁August ▁ 5 , ▁just