It may be the calm before the storm. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Public safety

Water levels on the North Sask. headed up

Jun 20, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Prince Albert residents can expect to see a rise this week in the North Saskatchewan River.

It’s because of last week’s significant rainfall event in Alberta. Patrick Boyle, a spokesperson for the Water Security Agency (WSA), told paNOW the peak should come around Friday.

“Roughly we are gonna see about 1,300 to 1,400 cu. m/s inflows which is gonna result in about a three meter increase from existing levels,” he explained.

Just to put things into perspective, normal inflow levels for this time of year through Prince Albert are around 420 cu. m/s.

“It’s a pretty significant increase over a short period of time but we are not expecting a whole lot of issues because of that,” Boyle said, adding though people who use the river for recreational purposes should err on the side of caution.

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As well, the general public is advised to keep a safe distance from the water’s edge. Boyle anticipated water levels to return to normal by early next week.

A spokesperson for the City of Prince Albert advised paNOW the city has not received any reports from the WSA regrading high water levels or flooding risks.

“We are watching the river flows upstream as there is a significant increase in the river flows that will arrive in Prince Albert later tonight and through tomorrow,” a statement said.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell