By Andrew de Souza

High water levels draw crowds

Jun 27, 2011 | 6:31 AM

The North Saskatchewan River was more than 2.5 m higher than its average depth on Sunday and many people were out to enjoy the spectacle.

Some people said they hadn’t seen the river, which swelled to nearly engulf the Third Avenue East boat launch, at that level since the 1980’s.

Dale Hjartaas, executive director of policy and communications at the Saskatchewan watershed authority said it was a lot more than they had predicted.

He said at its peak on Sunday there was about 2,100 cubic metres per second, flowing down the river.

“Through Prince Albert it came through higher than anticipated,” he said

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Because of that, throngs of people were out along the river front to take a look.

Little Red closed, flooded

Heavy rains in Alberta resulted in the swollen river and it also affected its tributaries.

Little Red River Park had to be closed because the majority of the entrance and park grounds were completely submerged.

At this time, there’s no word on when the park will be reopened.

In the meantime, the Prince Albert Fire Department is warning that the park isn’t just closed, but it’s also dangerous.

“With the high water comes the danger of banks collapsing, people’s pets getting into the water kids playing in the water, that kind of thing,” said deputy chief Joe Ztilny.

“We don’t want our residents to take that risk. Our crews are excellent at what they do, but the best rescue is the one that doesn’t happen.”

Vacationers in the area were reporting many marina and beaches being closed off.

Water remains dangerous

The high water level and fast speed are expected to last for at least a few days and emergency crews wanted to remind people that while it might seem like a good idea to take as close a look as possible, it is incredibly dangerous to do so.

“The water is moving very fast, there’s lots of it, even an experienced swimmer or somebody who’s a very, very strong swimmer, if they fall in the water they’re going to be swept away,” said Lyle Karasiuk, director of public affairs, with Parkland Ambulance.

Extreme caution was needed because a person would get swept away so fast that it would be nearly impossible for emergency crews to respond in time, he said.

If you’ve got pictures of the deluge, send them to us at news@panow.com

For more photos see: High Water on the North Saskatchewan

adesouza@panow.com