North Saskatchewan River. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

River Break Up

River breakup on North Saskatchewan River expected to happen soon

Apr 21, 2023 | 5:00 PM

Ice on the North Saskatchewan River is expected to break up in the very near future.

That’s according to Sean Osmar, a spokesperson for the province’s Water Security Agency (WSA), who told paNOW they’re predicting it to happen sometime next week.

He said the snow most of the province got recently may have delayed the breakup by a couple of days.

It’s also not expected to have any impact when it all melts and makes its way into the river.

“We don’t expect to see overly high flows or high-water levels at this point, but we’ll continue to monitor,” said Osmar.

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While it’s nearly impossible to predict whether the ice will jam, all indicators suggest it’ll be a calm break. This comes from data collected at monitoring stations at different parts of the river and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Meanwhile, people are reminded to stay away from the river now and when the ice officially breaks.

In the past, some have ventured onto big pieces of ice that have broken off and got stuck on the riverbank.

“It can shift, it can move around on you, just a hazard for people,” added Osmar.

He noted they’re not stopping people from watching the break up when it happens, just recommending everyone do it from a safe distance.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow