While the flood risk generally has dropped throughout Saskatchewan there are still areas where local creeks and streams are causing problems.
In the Rural Municipality of Corman Park, years of high precipitation, poor drainage, and development that altered drainage patterns have combined to threaten homes and roads.
The Water Security Agency said today that cottages on Murray Lake north of the Battlefords could be at risk. Two creeks flow into the lake, which in turn flows into Jackfish Lake.
Spokesperson Patrick Boyle said the Jackfish Lake Watershed Association has opened its control structure to allow maximum outflow. The forecast had called for levels this year to reach the 1985 record.
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In Blaine Lake, Raduga Creek is still rising and creating potential risk.
Levels at Radisson declined slightly but flood risks remain. Water was going over Highway 16 just east of the town on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, flows on Wascana Creek appeared to have peaked well below the forecasted level after the late melt allowed more snow than normal to be absorbed into the ground. That has lessened the flood risk, but agricultural land is wet.
Boyle said the agency is warning cottage owners on the Qu’Appelle lakes chain that water levels are still rising there. Last Mountain Lake, for example, isn’t expected to peak until late May or early June.
As the ice melts there is always the threat of strong winds moving chunks of ice to shore and causing property damage.
In east-central Saskatchewan, flows on the Assiniboine increased to 210 cubic metres per second on Tuesday, above the forecasted peak of 190 m3/s.
Flows in the Whitesand River, which enters the Assiniboine, rose slightly at Canora from 114 m3/s to 118 m3/s.
Water levels on Fishing Lake are increasing and rose two centimetres from Monday to Tuesday.
Colin King, the province’s deputy commissioner of emergency management, said the declaration of emergency in the RM of Elfros has expired. All other declarations remain in place; the RM of Humboldt was added late Monday.
He said thanks to good preparation and awareness most communities have been able to handle the spring flooding.
