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Recent flooding in the rural municipality of Meadow Lake was a one-in-100-year event, an official with Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency says.
Leah Clark, the provincial Crown corporation’s executive director of irrigation and economic development, also said one-in-25-year events have been common in other areas of the province this spring.
“We have been seeing higher than average snow pack, and we are seeing higher than average runoff events,” Clark said.
A state of emergency was declared in the rural municipality of Meadow Lake on April 21 and was extended Monday. Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency spokesperson Jeff Dedekker said a few roads could still wash out, which would leave seven homes temporarily stranded.
Dedekker said people there are prepared with emergency supplies. The municipality is about 250 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.
A spring runoff update posted on the Water Security Agency’s website Wednesday afternoon said river flows near Meadow Lake remain well above normal for this time of year and continue to increase steadily.
Public Safety Agency officials didn’t have a full tally of the number of properties in Saskatchewan damaged by flooding this spring, but they were aware of damage in the Meadow Lake and Foam Lake areas.
They said states of emergency continued in the rural municipalities of St. Louis, Elfros, Invergordon and Meadow Lake, but others had expired in the previous 24 hours.
Local officials in Invergordon said last week more than 20 municipal roads experienced flooding or water flowing over the roadway, causing damage.
Dedekker said the flooding situations had stabilized in St. Louis and Elfros as of Wednesday morning, although a few roads remained closed in the latter municipality.
Dedekker said water had receded in Foam Lake and the situation had stabilized. Warmer weather could bring a second wave of flooding and the town was monitoring conditions, Dedekker said.
The Water Security Agency said the snowmelt in the Foam Lake area was nearing completion. However, the Ministry of Highways said flooding was still causing highway closures near Foam Lake and south of Kamsack.
Dedekker said help was on its way to Loon Lake, which had requested equipment and workers to help with flood protection in the village.
The Public Safety Agency said it was responding to nine flooding incidents in the province as of 5:30 p.m. CST Wednesday.
Dedekker said flooding in Buchanan was under control and water levels were manageable in another village, Canwood. Dedekker said conditions were stable and equipment was being picked up in Beardy’s & Okemasis Cree Nation because it’s no longer required.
A high-flow advisory is in place for a large area of Saskatchewan, from Buffalo Narrows and La Ronge in the province’s north, through the northern grain belt, to just north and east of Saskatoon, to the Yorkton area.
“Where we see high snow pack is where we’re looking at,” Clark said.
Clark said cooler temperatures in recent days have slowed the snowmelt but it could become more rapid over the coming days as temperatures are forecast to gradually increase.