The channel drains water from Lake St. Martin through the new channel to the Dauphin River and into Lake Winnipeg. This will allow the Fairford control structure, which drains water from Lake Manitoba to Lake St. Martin, to run at full capacity over winter.

The channel, constructed in just over two-months, was built on a temporary emergency basis. The project was exempted from environmental review under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and Manitoba's Environment Act.

It is hoped the channel will prevent further Lake Manitoba flooding in 2012, after severe spring and summer flooding in 2011.

Manitoba struggled to contain the swollen Assiniboine River by operating the Portage Diversion, which funnels water from the Assiniboine River into Lake Manitoba, operating well over its capacity for weeks in 2011. (The Portage Diversion is over 40 years old, and required emergency adjustments spring 2011.)

That pushed water levels up on Lake Manitoba, and some 2,000 people were forced from their homes on the shores of Lake St. Martin and Lake Manitoba. Many are still waiting to return home. Hundreds of residents from the Lake St. Martin First Nation are still under an evacuation order as officials look to move the reserve permanently to a new location on higher ground.