A large impromptu pond in the Crescent Acres area as seen from the Rotary Trail. (Trevor Redden/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Pond-emonium

Potential for more blocked culverts than usual this spring in P.A.

Mar 8, 2021 | 1:17 PM

City crews are prepping for a messy spring with remnants of November’s snow dump and January’s ice storm complicating things in Prince Albert’s drainage channels.

Director of Public Works Wes Hicks told paNOW the weather events contributed to the formation of two ice packs separated by a layer of snow in the channels.

“With warming weather last week, we’ve got a little run off and the water could be running under or over either one of those ice packs,” he said.

While crews are up to the challenge, Hicks said they have to be aware of the difficulties this spring could pose.

“We could have a lot more frozen catch basins or culverts than on a normal year,” he said.

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A city worker feeds a steamer into a blocked culvert last spring. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

The large impromptu puddles that have started springing up around the city are a common occurence in spring time. As snow and ice melt above ground, subterranean catch basins and culverts are slower to thaw. With nowhere to go, water starts pooling until city crews can blast though the underground blockages with high-powered steamers.

If residents see a problem puddle, they can call city hall or the Public Works Department, Hicks said.

“We’ll put it on the list of catch basins to steam out,” he continued.

City crews clear as many as 75 frozen catch basins and culverts per day in the spring, Water and Sewer manager Geoff Soderberg told paNOW last April.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom