(Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nicole Reis

REGIONAL FLOODING

Meadow Lake and surrounding areas cope with significant flooding

Jun 17, 2020 | 5:00 PM

Residents in the Meadow Lake region are grappling with flooding and property damage after water levels in the area have significantly risen.

Meadow Lake Fire and Rescue responded to a residence on Fourth Ave. E. on the evening of June 16 to a deluge nearly three feet deep in areas surrounding the home. Fire Chief Neil Marsh told meadowlakeNOW in his 24 years of service with the local fire department, he has not encountered the amount of water he and his crew faced that evening.

“By most people’s account, the last time the lake has been this high was back in the 70s,” Marsh said. “The sandbags we filled are keeping the water down to a trickle that’s easily handled by a pump.”

According to the affected residents, water had been accumulating in their yard for nearly five days and is the most water the property has encountered over their 20 years of ownership. In addition to people living in the city, RM residents are also coping with flooding.

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Gina Bernier, CAO with the RM of Meadow Lake No. 588 is urging residents in the community who encounter flooding, to contact the Water Security Agency (WSA) first to determine the level of problem. The RM consists of 72 townships with one township consisting of 36 sections having 1,300 residents spread out. The RM does not have staff to deploy in most emergency mitigation situations therefore residents are often working against flooding on their own.

“We do have two guys who are sandbagging themselves and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency may come out and help,” she said.

Since area flooding is happening due to rising water levels, the RM has not yet called a state of emergency but has applied for provincial funding to assist with road damage along Cabana Rd.

“We’re not sure how much it’s going to cost but we did a culvert back in 2012 and it cost $1.3 million and this is just as big,” she said. “The road is gone and we have to build it so this doesn’t happen again.”

Bernier said some residents near the Beaver River who did not obtain building permit to establish their home are now dealing with flooding issues. The importance of building permits allows the RM to coordinate flood zone mitigation and make recommendations for building a home above sea level.

“We feel for them, but everyone is encouraged to call the WSA, or if there is more needed, the SPSA will help us to help them,” she said.

Water Security Agency

Patrick Boyle, spokesperson with the WSA said residents who are experiencing flooding can subscribe to their Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program. Depending on the severity and circumstance, both the WSA and the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) can assist with flooding measures when a municipality is unable to.

“The cost share [for the program] for individuals, small business, non-profit organizations, rural municipalities and communities other than city status, we cover 100 per cent of the cost of engineering and technical advice,” he said. “Fifty per cent of the cost of construction and 50 per cent of the cost for emergency pumping.”

WSA said current flow on Meadow River near Meadow Lake is about 67 cubic metres per second (m3/s). Typical flow in June is about 6 m3/s indicating a fairly substantial increase.

In the event of flooding within the RM, the first point of contact is the Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program northwest located in North Battleford at (306)-446-7450. An alternative contact is the Provincial Water Inquiry at 1-866-727-5420.

Additional information about WSA’s Flood Damage Reduction Program can be found here.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722