(Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nicole Reis

STREAMFLOW ADVISORY

High streamflow advisory expanded to include Meadow Lake area

Jun 8, 2020 | 5:00 PM

Water Security Agency (WSA) is expanding the high streamflow advisory for the Churchill River System to include the headwater areas in the Meadow Lake area after recent heavy rainfall.

WSA spokesperson Patrick Boyle told meadowlakeNOW fast flowing water and heavy rainfall can potentially cause unstable river banks where some infrastructure could be at risk.

“We do get events like this where we see significant amount [of rainfall] in some areas,” he said. “We see high flows from a couple of areas. First being the spring runoff and we’re outside of that getting closer to summer. Second being rainfall events.”

Boyle added the northwest area of the province has been one of the more saturated with little storage on its landscape. When the area does become saturated, water runs off into streams causing above normal water levels.

Between June 3 to 7, the area extending from Glaslyn up to Cold Lake, including western portions of Meadow Lake Provincial Park, received 90 to 120 mm of rainfall.

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“You may see some stream flows and lake levels in the area that would be well above normal and with that you get some spilling or low level flooding,” he said.

The public is advised to stay clear of fast flowing water and potentially unstable banks during the high streamflow period and be aware of threats to any buildings or infrastructure close to these water bodies.

Meadow Lake’s City Manager, Diana Burton said the city’s storm water retention pond is quite full but has not reached its capacity yet. The flood pane currently in place can hold a significant amount of rainfall which helps prevent heavy flooding.

The city’s manager said rainwater heads through the storm system, to the stormwater retention pond behind Meadow Lake’s museum, drains into Backwater Creek and then flows back into Meadow Lake.

“With Backwater Creek water at a high level, it will take a couple of days until it begins pumping water down, out and away but our system was able to hold the rain and divert it away,” Burton said.

The areas under advisory include the Beaver River and its tributaries, including Horsehead, Rabbit, Morin, and Alcott creeks and the Makwa and Meadow rivers.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722