The snow pack in the upper Moose Jaw river basin is above normal — but that doesn’t necessarily mean a risk of flooding, says Saskatchewan Watershed Authority expert Martin Graychuck.
The hydrologist said it all depends on the rate of melt.
“With a normal melt, you will get above normal flows but if you get a real slow melt, you could get low flows. It really depends on the rate of melt.
“If it is a quick melt, there will be flooding,” he said.
Graychuck said it was difficult to predict the rate of melt but said the middle of the range estimate was 70 cubic metres per second.
“There is a risk of flooding if you get a rapid melt. We do not have as much as we had in 1997 so the odds are not as high as that even with a rapid melt.”
Graychuck said residents who live in River Park at Wakamow Valley, who live on the flood plain, should keep an eye out.
“It’s a concern for them,” he said.
“They should be watching the situation and if they see temperatures rising to double figures and no freezing temperatures, they should be contacting us and the city to see what the projected flows are,” he said.
