The official word from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority is "Run-off is well underway." In that statement is both good news and not so good news. The good news is the end is in sight, the snow is just about gone, and unless the weather throws a curve ball, we can expect the excess run-off to come to an end in the near future. The not so good news - it's still flowing.
All across the province, RMs have been struggling to keep up with the workload forced upon them by the spring melt. Roads have collapsed, culverts have been crushed, and main highways (such as #48 between #9 and Kennedy) have been closed, forcing drivers to find alternate routes. Temporary lakes have appeared in many areas, and in stores the sales of sump pumps have skyrocketed.
Where then does all this water go? Water authorities carefully monitor the flow across the province; they are able to plan for situations by building excess capacity in our reservoirs. The best local example is Alameda. Latest figures show that it's at 562.227 meters, a quarter of a meter above full supply level. To the untrained layman this may appear alarming, with visions of bursting dams and disaster, however the Watershed Authority told "The Observer" that Alameda can handle five meters above full supply.
While many communities, in other parts of the province, have been hit so bad that emergency grants have been approved, the situation has not reached that point for most of us. Yes, many people have put up with water in basements; we've had to find alternative routes in our travels, and we've probably got sick of hearing about it all, but as long as a higher power dictates that snow melts into water, it's part and parcel of living on the prairie.
