During the 1997 flood in the Red River valley, provincial officials suddenly realized Winnipeg faced a threat of flooding they were unprepared for. It's hard to imagine a serious flood threat to Winnipeg in this barren prairie landscape, but the flood plain is vast in the valley. A 42km, 8 meter high dike was rapidly built within a stretch of days. While the dike didn't face any significant flood waters it did help protect the city. Since then it has been reconfigured, replaced and dismantled in some areas, but the protection it pioneered remains today.