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River peak passes the Battlefords with no damage reported

Aug 29, 2016 | 2:00 PM

A surge in the North Saskatchewan River is on its way to Prince Albert, after peaking in the Battlefords with no reports of flooding.

Patrick Boyle, a spokesperson with the Water Security Agency said the level rose as expected by just over two metres, between late Sunday, Aug. 28 or early Monday, Aug. 29. The flow in the river was pushed higher by heavy rain approximately one week earlier in western Alberta.

“It kind of came in where we thought things would,” Boyle said. “No real impact out other than just a brief increase, and rare for this time of year.”

Boyle added as of noon on Monday the level is slowly on its way down.

The water near the old Battlefords Bridges was visibly muddy and fast-moving Monday, carrying debris such as large tree branches.

“A lot of people are probably seeing turbidity in the water, the water’s more turbid as more dirt and organic material gets stirred up with the higher flows moving through and probably debris,” Boyle said.

Susanne Abe, a spokesperson for the City of North Battleford, confirmed the peak flow passed without causing flood damage. Crews were ready to fill and use sandbags to protect infrastructure along the river, if needed.

The peak could reach Prince Albert late Wednesday, or more likely early Thursday, Boyle said.

 

Geoff Smith is battlefordsNOW’s News Director, business and agriculture reporter. He can be reached at geoff.smith@jpbg.ca or tweet him @smithco.