By Patrick Book

Water levels in southeast Saskatchewan continue to rise

May 13, 2011 | 6:56 AM

At least two homes in the Estevan area have been evacuated because of rising flood water.

While most of the areas in southern Saskatchewan that have seen flooding are watching the water slowly recede, the province's daily flood briefing on Thursday revealed that water levels in some southeast areas continue to rise.

That's due to the reservoirs in the region spilling over, thanks in part to the foot of snow and two inches of rain that has fallen in the last two weeks.

Duane McKay with the corrections, public safety, and policing ministry says that area is seeing the bulk of the province's attention this week.

“We are sending assessment teams into some locations now just to get some eyes on a view of what's going on there and where we can assist,” he explained during the briefing.

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He notes that two homes in the areas were evacuated after water broke through dirt berms constructed by the homeowners.

Crews were working to construct a protective berm in the village of Roche Percee through Wednesday night and past midnight Thursday morning. More work was to be done Thursday as well, with crews going into the area to shore up trouble spots.

McKay says 19 communities are still under local emergency declarations with 37 having called for that designation in the last month or so.

In areas where the water is beginning to flow through the focus is switching to recovery mode. Work is also beginning to determine what needs to be done to free lakes from the debris that was swept up in high water events.

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