Easter 2003 saw a rainfall event drop over 70 mm of precipitation on Thunder Bay. When combined with spring runoff and melting of 10 cm of snow from previous days, the river levels climbed rapidly. Water in the Neebing River started diverting down the Channel and continued to divert for three days.

Maintenance of the Floodway Channel and corridor are on-going responsibilities. The Floodway must be kept in good operational condition so that it is ready to avert flooding at all times. Dredging to remove sediment build-up is periodically required. Debris must be removed from near the Diversion Structure.Access along the corridor must remain open.

For the Diversion Channel, control of vegetation growth is important. Plant material can build up or trap sediment with the effect of decreasing the volume of water the Channel can carry. The resistance created by the vegetation can slow movement of the water and cause water levels to rise.

In the last few years, water has ponded in the Diversion Channel when it should normally be dry between major rainfalls. The dampness has encouraged vegetation growth while making it very difficult for crews to get at the site to cut down the plants. Lakehead Conservation hired a consultant to undertake the Floodway Drainage Study in 2003.

The Study investigated possible sources of the water and found that it was primarily groundwater seeping into the Channel. Several drain designs were proposed that would collect the water from the ground before it entered the Channel. Pipes would then carry the water downstream to the Floodway Channel.

The Neebing-McIntyre Floodway project was completed in 1984 by Lakehead Conservation. The Diversion Channel is a key part of the Floodway project. Flows down the Neebing River are restricted by a dam (Diversion Structure) and sent down the Diversion Channel. The water then enters the large Floodway Channel and is carried safely to Lake Superior.

Parts of the McIntyre River were enlarged and a new channel dug to create the Floodway Channel. The Neebing River eventually joins the Floodway downstream of Fort William Road.

The excess flows carried by the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway would have caused flooding in the years before the Floodway was built. Countless thousands of dollars in flood damages have been saved by the Floodway and commercial development of the Intercity area was made possible.