Flooding conditions are beginning to ease in some parts of Saskatchewan, but road damage, high flows and recovery work continue to affect communities across the province.
During a Monday media availability, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said 18 communities had current declarations of local emergency as of 2 p.m. That is down from 34 communities on Sunday.
SPSA said it remains in contact with each affected community and is supporting multiple communities and rural areas with staff or equipment resources.
The communities listed Monday included the RM of Buckland, RM of St. Louis, RM of Garden River, RM of Big River, RM of Moose Range, Sturgeon Lake First Nation and others.
Water Security Agency officials said most east-central stream flows have peaked and are receding, although flows are expected to remain higher than normal for several days.
However, some northern basins have not yet peaked. Officials said late thaw, higher-than-average snowpack and late spring snowstorms are still creating significant runoff and flooding in some areas.
Closer to Prince Albert, officials said there is no snow left upstream of the city on the North Saskatchewan River. Flows on the North Saskatchewan River and its tributaries upstream of Prince Albert are declining, and the Saskatchewan River below the forks is also receding.
In the RM of Buckland, council has extended the local state of emergency until May 18 as a precaution. In a website update posted Monday morning, the RM said elevated water levels along the Little Red River and ongoing weather conditions continue to pose a risk to infrastructure, properties and public safety.
The RM also said Monday afternoon it had been approved for designation under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) for the spring flooding event. Residents were told to keep detailed records, including photos, labour logs, equipment-use records, receipts, invoices and insurance correspondence.
The RM of Paddockwood also reported ongoing recovery and road safety concerns. In a Facebook update posted Monday afternoon, the RM said engineers are expected by the end of the week as part of the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program review.
The RM said repairs will be prioritized first for areas where residents are completely blocked in, followed by major washouts on main grid roads and then smaller washouts or undermined areas.
The Ministry of Highways said there were six provincial highway closures related to flooding and about eight incidents involving water on roads. Officials said crews are repairing culverts, deploying pumps, fixing road surfaces and installing temporary bridge structures in some areas.
Officials said a temporary structure is being installed on Highway 165 over the Smoothstone River after a bridge collapse caused by flooding and ice-jam damage.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
