Saskatchewan is releasing water from it's dams:
A Soggy Saskatchewan looks for help with flood cleanup, protection measures
Jennifer Graham, The Canadian Press Jun 21, 2011 19:19:00 PM
REGINA - A fifth day of rain brought more misery to flooded communities in southeastern Saskatchewan and threatened even bigger problems downstream on the swollen Souris River.
Grey clouds hovered over the City of Estevan, which was expected to get up to 30 millimetres of rain Tuesday. That's on top of the 287 millimetres that has fallen on the city since May 1 — making this the wettest May-June period since records began in 1945.
"Every time you look out and it's raining, it's makes you a little bit sick," said Estevan Mayor Gary St. Onge.
Estevan was one of 24 communities under a state of emergency Tuesday — up four from Monday.
To make matters worse, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority said Tuesday that it has to release more water from dams in the region because the reservoirs are filled to the brim.
"Essentially, the system is just absolutely saturated from starting with spring runoff and then just rain event after rain event," said authority spokesman Dale Hjertaas.
"Everything is full. The river channels are full, the sloughs are full and now the reservoir capacity is full as well. Each time it rains more of the water is moving on downstream and producing flows that none of us has seen before."
The problem area starts about an hour and a half southeast of Regina. Estevan is of particular concern because it sits on the Souris close to two major dams — Boundary and Rafferty.
Increased outflows from Boundary Dam are expected to raise water levels downstream by about 20 centimetres. The outflow is also being increased at Alameda Dam near Oxbow, Sask.
St. Onge said he understands there were no other options.
"They have to release what they've got. You can't have the water going over the top of the dam. They don't really have any choice so we just have to try and live with what they're sending down."
The mayor said so far, they've been able to protect the water treatment plant, although staff are getting to the site by boat.
Colin King, deputy commissioner of emergency management, said the increase outflow means there will be even more water in Roche Percee, near the U.S. border. Much of the village of about 160 people is already submerged.
In all, Emergency Social Services in Saskatchewan estimates that nearly 800 people have been forced from their homes across the region. Officials said the exact number is hard to pinpoint because many evacuees are staying with family or friends, not in shelters.
There were also problems east of Regina, where the Trans-Canada Highway remained closed for a second day Tuesday because it was submerged under several metres of water.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is hoping Ottawa will help bail out communities affected by flooding.
Wall spoke Tuesday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper about disaster aid and flood protection. The premier said there's been concern that some flood damage won't be covered because it's man-made — such as when a rural municipality intentionally breaches a road to divert water away from property or people.
"I was able to raise that with the prime minister and say, well, clearly these RMs wouldn't be cutting the roads if there weren't a flood. The flood's the cause, the disaster's the cause," said Wall.
"And he said, well, you know we'll have a look at that. He's already committed to fund permanent works ... to mitigate against further damage."
Saskatchewan announced a $22 million program in February to help communities, rural municipalities and individuals prepare for spring flooding. That was after the watershed authority warned there was a high likelihood of flooding from the spring runoff, especially in the southern part of the province.
The provincial government topped up the program with another $30 million. Wall said Tuesday that figure could near $100 million.
The premier also spoke with Harper about help for Saskatchewan farmers. Flooding is expected to leave about two million hectares unseeded this year in Saskatchewan. Last year, the federal government and the three Prairie provinces pumped an additional $450 million into a program to cover farmland that couldn't be seeded or was washed out after seeding due to near non-stop rain.
Wall said there will be a review on how the flood was handled, including reservoir management, but he hoped people wouldn't look to lay blame.
"It's a dangerous thing to hindsight this thing," said Wall.
"How do you deal with five, seven inches in a weekend? What release back in March can predict that future event? So I would be loathe to second-guess the hydrologists and the experts too much at this point. Hindsight's pretty easy and people understandably are very stressed."
While the situation is bad in Saskatchewan, it is worse downstream in Minot, N.D.
The Souris River is set to overtop levees there, promising to swamp thousands of homes and businesses. Some 10,000 residents have been ordered to leave their homes — about a quarter of the city's population.
There are international agreements in place to make sure water released from the dams don't harm anyone downstream, including in Manitoba, where the Souris River eventually loops around and joins the Assiniboine River. Wall said the dams have prevented flooding over the decades and the release is important now to protect the integrity of the dams.
Hjertaas said there's nothing Saskatchewan can do to hold back the flow.
"The storage capacity in the dams has been used and so there is not capacity to reduce the impact on Minot. Obviously they would like us to reduce flows as quickly as we can ... but what we can do we are doing and or have done," said Hjertaas.
"They understand the situation that when a dam is full, it's full."
Hjertaas said it's tough to know when water levels might go down.
"At least for a couple of days, the flows are going to stay high. If it would quit raining, then it could start going down," he said.
— With files from Associated Press
Look out North Dakota/Manitoba.......
Moderator: S2k Moderators
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angelwing
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Re: Look out North Dakota/Manitoba.......
I was just going to post something about this, I can believe all this water, sheesh!
If anyone is interested: http://www.minotnd.org/
If anyone is interested: http://www.minotnd.org/
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SaskatchewanScreamer
More water is coming to Saskatchewan from Alberta and that is also going to head to places where peeps would rather not see it Angelwing:
'Ugly' flooding turns Sask. highway into river, forcing evacuations
Published On Tue Jun 21 2011EmailPrint
Rss Article
Lucy and Bill Elliott from Pipestone, Manitoba, check out the river in Weyburn, southeast Saskatchewan on Monday, June 20, 2011.
ROY ANTAL/THE CANADIAN PRESS
Jennifer Graham
The Canadian Press
WEYBURN, SASK.—Communities across soggy southeastern Saskatchewan are dealing with displaced residents, sewage-flooded basements and suspect drinking water — the unwanted by-products of days of rain that has overwhelmed rivers and swollen reservoirs.
"It's pretty ugly," said Dustin Bell, who said there's so much water around his home a couple of kilometres northeast of Weyburn that he can't drive out to get to work.
"Unfortunately we can't stop because of this so we had to get a rope and a boat and pull ourselves in."
The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority warned Monday that levels could rise another half metre in the partially flooded communities of Estevan and Roche Percee, downstream from Weyburn, after more water was released from dams on the Souris River.
Some residents say they don't understand why floodgates on the dams are being opened when communities downstream are already under water.
But authority spokesman Dale Hjertaas said the reservoirs simply can't hold back the huge amount of water.
"Everything is very saturated so all the water is running off now," Hjertaas said.
"The bottom line is ... an awful lot of rain fell and an awful lot of water is coming, and the capacity of the reservoir to hold it back is limited. Therefore, most of it needs to be passed on through at this point."
The areas affected were along the Souris, about an hour and a half southeast of Regina. There were also problems just east of Regina, where the Trans-Canada Highway was closed Monday because it was submerged under several metres of water.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall toured the southern areas Monday and said it's not clear yet how much it will cost the government to help the communities.
"It's in the millions of dollars certainly and there's two levels of costs. There would be one to the municipalities that already had a lot of stressed infrastructure because of so much rain," said Wall.
"We've just told them, do what you need to do and we'll be there for you."
Wall, who delayed his trip to the western premiers conference in Yellowknife, called the torrents of water that have washed through the area unprecedented.
"We went over to Rafferty (Dam) and I can't give you a description," said Wall.
"I have no more adjectives, I have no more superlatives and I'm a politician so I shouldn't be lost for words maybe, but I am. It's hard to describe what you see driving around Weyburn, what these folks have been dealing with."
The premier said the provincial disaster assistance program gets help from the federal government. But he added they need to work together to prevent future flooding of such magnitude.
"There are some things we need to do soon in this region for responsible relief of the water pressures."
Environment Canada said that as of Monday morning, Estevan has had 287 millimetres of rain since May 1, making this the wettest May-June period since records began in 1945. The agency said 112 millimetres of rain had fallen in Weyburn since Friday and more rain was expected Monday.
People were out of their homes in Roche Percee, a tiny community near Estevan with a population of 160. Residents reported seeing a dike breach on the weekend that put much of the community under water.
The Willow Park Greens Trailer Park on the outskirts of Estevan was also under an evacuation order affecting about 400 people.
There was a precautionary boil water advisory in the City of Weyburn because of problems at the sewage plant. A trailer park outside the city was also evacuated. Some homes and businesses had water or sewage in their basements, including The Family Place, a community resource centre.
"We had upwards of two feet of sewage in our basement and we've basically been evicted from our building," said Clark Gordon, chairman of the board at The Family Place.
"You can't spend more than two or three minutes in there without feeling sick just because of the smell."
Gordon said everything in the basement, including toys and a play room, are now useless. The basement will have to be gutted and the building cleaned before the centre can open again. He hopes to get some of the program running at another location, but it will take time for the centre to get back on its feet.
"I mean we've got a mess on our hands. That mess has to be cleaned up."
Highway 39 that runs through Weyburn looked more like a tributary of the Souris River than a roadway, as water submerged the city's main bridge Monday.
Farmer Al Watson, 75, of Yellow Grass, said he's lived in the area his whole life and has never seen so much water.
"I do remember one time we had more rain, but it was drier when it started," said Watson.
"A lot of the problem this year has been that the ground was so saturated (from the snowpack) and really there was no place for the water to soak in."
In all, 20 communities were under a state of emergency Monday because of flooding.
Weyburn Mayor Debra Button said the city is experiencing difficulties with the electrical system at its main sewage lift station. Button said the community is pulling together but it has been stressful.
"I think initially everyone has shock. Then you go from shock to anger to can't believe it to 'what am I going to do' and there's despair in there as well. You know, we're watching for signs of that within the community," said Button.
"And we're reminding people, it's not worth staying in your house if you've got water or effluent ... Get out."
Colin King, the province's deputy fire commissioner, said many homeowners were feeling the pain.
"The amount of flow they are getting now is higher now than it has been previously this spring and it is affecting them quite dramatically ... (there are) a significant amount of homes with water in their basement, whether it be from seepage or overland flooding through the windows or from sewer backup — that sort of thing."
King said it's tough to estimate how many have been forced to leave their homes, noting some people went to stay with family or friends and may not have registered with shelters.
There could be more evacuations over the next few days, he added.
The watershed authority also warned Monday that flows on the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton are high and that will cause the river to rise as much as two metres when it reaches the Battlefords by mid-week and Prince Albert on Friday or Saturday.
Those increased flows on the North Saskatchewan River from rain in Alberta will combine with the already swollen South Saskatchewan River. That could mean flooding in the northeastern Saskatchewan community of Cumberland House early next week.
'Ugly' flooding turns Sask. highway into river, forcing evacuations
Published On Tue Jun 21 2011EmailPrint
Rss Article
Lucy and Bill Elliott from Pipestone, Manitoba, check out the river in Weyburn, southeast Saskatchewan on Monday, June 20, 2011.
ROY ANTAL/THE CANADIAN PRESS
Jennifer Graham
The Canadian Press
WEYBURN, SASK.—Communities across soggy southeastern Saskatchewan are dealing with displaced residents, sewage-flooded basements and suspect drinking water — the unwanted by-products of days of rain that has overwhelmed rivers and swollen reservoirs.
"It's pretty ugly," said Dustin Bell, who said there's so much water around his home a couple of kilometres northeast of Weyburn that he can't drive out to get to work.
"Unfortunately we can't stop because of this so we had to get a rope and a boat and pull ourselves in."
The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority warned Monday that levels could rise another half metre in the partially flooded communities of Estevan and Roche Percee, downstream from Weyburn, after more water was released from dams on the Souris River.
Some residents say they don't understand why floodgates on the dams are being opened when communities downstream are already under water.
But authority spokesman Dale Hjertaas said the reservoirs simply can't hold back the huge amount of water.
"Everything is very saturated so all the water is running off now," Hjertaas said.
"The bottom line is ... an awful lot of rain fell and an awful lot of water is coming, and the capacity of the reservoir to hold it back is limited. Therefore, most of it needs to be passed on through at this point."
The areas affected were along the Souris, about an hour and a half southeast of Regina. There were also problems just east of Regina, where the Trans-Canada Highway was closed Monday because it was submerged under several metres of water.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall toured the southern areas Monday and said it's not clear yet how much it will cost the government to help the communities.
"It's in the millions of dollars certainly and there's two levels of costs. There would be one to the municipalities that already had a lot of stressed infrastructure because of so much rain," said Wall.
"We've just told them, do what you need to do and we'll be there for you."
Wall, who delayed his trip to the western premiers conference in Yellowknife, called the torrents of water that have washed through the area unprecedented.
"We went over to Rafferty (Dam) and I can't give you a description," said Wall.
"I have no more adjectives, I have no more superlatives and I'm a politician so I shouldn't be lost for words maybe, but I am. It's hard to describe what you see driving around Weyburn, what these folks have been dealing with."
The premier said the provincial disaster assistance program gets help from the federal government. But he added they need to work together to prevent future flooding of such magnitude.
"There are some things we need to do soon in this region for responsible relief of the water pressures."
Environment Canada said that as of Monday morning, Estevan has had 287 millimetres of rain since May 1, making this the wettest May-June period since records began in 1945. The agency said 112 millimetres of rain had fallen in Weyburn since Friday and more rain was expected Monday.
People were out of their homes in Roche Percee, a tiny community near Estevan with a population of 160. Residents reported seeing a dike breach on the weekend that put much of the community under water.
The Willow Park Greens Trailer Park on the outskirts of Estevan was also under an evacuation order affecting about 400 people.
There was a precautionary boil water advisory in the City of Weyburn because of problems at the sewage plant. A trailer park outside the city was also evacuated. Some homes and businesses had water or sewage in their basements, including The Family Place, a community resource centre.
"We had upwards of two feet of sewage in our basement and we've basically been evicted from our building," said Clark Gordon, chairman of the board at The Family Place.
"You can't spend more than two or three minutes in there without feeling sick just because of the smell."
Gordon said everything in the basement, including toys and a play room, are now useless. The basement will have to be gutted and the building cleaned before the centre can open again. He hopes to get some of the program running at another location, but it will take time for the centre to get back on its feet.
"I mean we've got a mess on our hands. That mess has to be cleaned up."
Highway 39 that runs through Weyburn looked more like a tributary of the Souris River than a roadway, as water submerged the city's main bridge Monday.
Farmer Al Watson, 75, of Yellow Grass, said he's lived in the area his whole life and has never seen so much water.
"I do remember one time we had more rain, but it was drier when it started," said Watson.
"A lot of the problem this year has been that the ground was so saturated (from the snowpack) and really there was no place for the water to soak in."
In all, 20 communities were under a state of emergency Monday because of flooding.
Weyburn Mayor Debra Button said the city is experiencing difficulties with the electrical system at its main sewage lift station. Button said the community is pulling together but it has been stressful.
"I think initially everyone has shock. Then you go from shock to anger to can't believe it to 'what am I going to do' and there's despair in there as well. You know, we're watching for signs of that within the community," said Button.
"And we're reminding people, it's not worth staying in your house if you've got water or effluent ... Get out."
Colin King, the province's deputy fire commissioner, said many homeowners were feeling the pain.
"The amount of flow they are getting now is higher now than it has been previously this spring and it is affecting them quite dramatically ... (there are) a significant amount of homes with water in their basement, whether it be from seepage or overland flooding through the windows or from sewer backup — that sort of thing."
King said it's tough to estimate how many have been forced to leave their homes, noting some people went to stay with family or friends and may not have registered with shelters.
There could be more evacuations over the next few days, he added.
The watershed authority also warned Monday that flows on the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton are high and that will cause the river to rise as much as two metres when it reaches the Battlefords by mid-week and Prince Albert on Friday or Saturday.
Those increased flows on the North Saskatchewan River from rain in Alberta will combine with the already swollen South Saskatchewan River. That could mean flooding in the northeastern Saskatchewan community of Cumberland House early next week.
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SaskatchewanScreamer
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SaskatchewanScreamer
They expect this flood to be worse in Minot then the flood of 1881........my province is saturated so either water is released or dams collapsing could result:
Minot Flood Situation Worsens | Video
Jacob Kaucher | 6/21/2011
There`s simply too much water, and at the Monot press conference, those in the evacuation zones were told they have to be out sooner than they were told yesterday. The Souris River is expected to reach record levels by the end of the week.
Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman wasted no time getting to the point.
"Mandatory evacuation by 6 p.m. Wednesday," said Zimbelman.
For residents just west of city limits between Minot and Burlington the time to get out is even sooner.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple said, "In the next week the river flow is expected to reach 20,800 cubic feet per second."
That will lead to a level of 1563 feet above sea level in central Minot significantly higher than the record set in 1881. Even residents beyond the nine mandatory evacuation zones must be on guard.
"People on the fringe should take precaution," said Maj Gen. David Sprynczynatyk.
More than 500 National Guard soldiers and airmen will be coming to Minot in the next 24 hours. They`ll make levee checks every 30 minutes, more frequently than they have been, to check if the rising water is topping or breaching the levees.
The city is also building additional levees to protect the water treatment plant and other infrastructure, including Broadway so that North-South travel can still take place. In all, a battle against time and mother nature.
The Army Corps of Engineers says the flooding is expected to last at least two weeks.
Minot Flood Situation Worsens | Video
Jacob Kaucher | 6/21/2011
There`s simply too much water, and at the Monot press conference, those in the evacuation zones were told they have to be out sooner than they were told yesterday. The Souris River is expected to reach record levels by the end of the week.
Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman wasted no time getting to the point.
"Mandatory evacuation by 6 p.m. Wednesday," said Zimbelman.
For residents just west of city limits between Minot and Burlington the time to get out is even sooner.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple said, "In the next week the river flow is expected to reach 20,800 cubic feet per second."
That will lead to a level of 1563 feet above sea level in central Minot significantly higher than the record set in 1881. Even residents beyond the nine mandatory evacuation zones must be on guard.
"People on the fringe should take precaution," said Maj Gen. David Sprynczynatyk.
More than 500 National Guard soldiers and airmen will be coming to Minot in the next 24 hours. They`ll make levee checks every 30 minutes, more frequently than they have been, to check if the rising water is topping or breaching the levees.
The city is also building additional levees to protect the water treatment plant and other infrastructure, including Broadway so that North-South travel can still take place. In all, a battle against time and mother nature.
The Army Corps of Engineers says the flooding is expected to last at least two weeks.
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all have been ordered out of the evacuation zones in Minot today. Live coverage is here -
http://kxnet.com/
http://kmot.com/Video_LIVE_Coverage.asp#container
My prayers are with all that are being affected by this flooding.
And I hope the decision not to approve FEMA help will be reversed.
http://kxnet.com/
http://kmot.com/Video_LIVE_Coverage.asp#container
My prayers are with all that are being affected by this flooding.
And I hope the decision not to approve FEMA help will be reversed.
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angelwing
- S2K Supporter
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- Location: Kulpsville, PA
Re: Look out North Dakota/Manitoba.......
More links...sigh...my hearts and prayers go out to them 
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kxmcweathercenter
http://www.facebook.com/kxnewsminot?sk= ... 1778781676
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kxmcweathercenter
http://www.facebook.com/kxnewsminot?sk= ... 1778781676
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brunota2003
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SaskatchewanScreamer
Sorry to see that Minot is your hometown Brunota. Minot is Moose Jaw's sister city and we sure have visited it many times over the years (Saskatchewanians fave out-of-country shopping destination). I feel so bad knowing what is headed towards it and, knowing the topography there, it is so sad.
Sending wishes that all get out of harms way (at least they are getting good warning).
Sending wishes that all get out of harms way (at least they are getting good warning).
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brunota2003
- S2K Supporter
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SaskatchewanScreamer
ah twas the per twitter quote on your posting that confused me Brunota. I hope you do get to help (one of my bosses is involved with the Canadian army and he helped in Manitoba...he is expecting he and his men will prolly be called on to serve again soon either in Saskatchewan or Manitoba shortly.
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SaskatchewanScreamer
Manitoba's reaction to hearing the news:
Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Dikes along Souris may need to be higher: province
By: Staff Writer
Posted: 06/23/2011 11:45 AM | Comments: 0
Communities are reeling across southwestern Manitoba today, after news that dikes along the bursting Souris River may have to be raised rapidly.
On Wednesday, the province announced some communities may have to raise dikes by as much as eight feet, as a new onslaught of water heads into the province from Saskatchewan and flood-engulfed Minot, N.D.
"Everybody went into stunned mode as soon as we read that. We were thinking, ‘This can’t be happening,’ " said Souris chief administrative officer Charlotte Parham on Thursday morning.
In Souris, the river is now expected to peak in mid-July at 1,366 ft., over six feet higher than April’s crest. In Wawanesa the river is expected to rise almost eight feet higher than it did in the spring.
The province will meet tomorrow afternoon with communities along the Souris River’s path to hammer out an action plan. Volunteers may be urgently needed to help build up the dikes along the river’s path, some municipality officials said.
Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Dikes along Souris may need to be higher: province
By: Staff Writer
Posted: 06/23/2011 11:45 AM | Comments: 0
Communities are reeling across southwestern Manitoba today, after news that dikes along the bursting Souris River may have to be raised rapidly.
On Wednesday, the province announced some communities may have to raise dikes by as much as eight feet, as a new onslaught of water heads into the province from Saskatchewan and flood-engulfed Minot, N.D.
"Everybody went into stunned mode as soon as we read that. We were thinking, ‘This can’t be happening,’ " said Souris chief administrative officer Charlotte Parham on Thursday morning.
In Souris, the river is now expected to peak in mid-July at 1,366 ft., over six feet higher than April’s crest. In Wawanesa the river is expected to rise almost eight feet higher than it did in the spring.
The province will meet tomorrow afternoon with communities along the Souris River’s path to hammer out an action plan. Volunteers may be urgently needed to help build up the dikes along the river’s path, some municipality officials said.
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SaskatchewanScreamer
And tonight it is pouring here YET again and up in Saskatoon and Lord only knows where else (I'm afraid to look at the radar now). This will certainly be my provinces' Katrina.
No rivers, lakes or rain, but some Saskatchewan towns still facing flooding
By tim switzer, Leader-Post June 23, 2011
REGINA — To see just how far the flooding in southeastern Saskatchewan has extended, one needs to look no further than the towns of Benson and Lampman.
Neither town is near a major body of water. Neither had significant rain over the past week. And yet one is using an army of pumper trucks to push water past it and the other is protecting itself with an 800-foot long, 10-foot high dike.
The water is coming down a natural slope that runs from the northwest to the southeast. It starts off near Creelman Marsh and Fillmore Flats and, since the land to the southeast is still so saturated from the spring melt, the rainwater that fell to the west runs over it like a sheet of plastic.
“It doesn’t seem like it rained very much and yet the water keeps rising. There’s no river, no creek. There’s nothing feeding this,” said Lampman Mayor Scott Greening.
Through much of the day Wednesday and Thursday, Benson (located 40 kilometres north of Estevan) employed 52 pumper trucks from nearby oilfields to push water over Highway 47 and prevent it from rushing back into the hamlet.
Thirty kilometres to the southeast in Lampman, meanwhile, the town has constructed the massive dike because its storm sewer system runs out to the northwest, but the oncoming water would just push it back into town.
Lampman also serves as the sandbag depot for the area and filled 10,000 of them on Wednesday before shipping 4,000 out of town by noon Thursday.
And while the sandbags and dikes are diverting some of the water, Greening wants to see it move much faster. The land east of Lampman, however, is too flat for the water to flow quickly away.
“It’s like tabletop — it takes so long for the water to go,” Greening said. “I’ve had fellas who have been around for 85 years tell me that they’ve never had to pump water out of the town of Lampman. We’ve been doing it now for six weeks."
Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/rivers+lakes+ ... z1QAmUNRJS
No rivers, lakes or rain, but some Saskatchewan towns still facing flooding
By tim switzer, Leader-Post June 23, 2011
REGINA — To see just how far the flooding in southeastern Saskatchewan has extended, one needs to look no further than the towns of Benson and Lampman.
Neither town is near a major body of water. Neither had significant rain over the past week. And yet one is using an army of pumper trucks to push water past it and the other is protecting itself with an 800-foot long, 10-foot high dike.
The water is coming down a natural slope that runs from the northwest to the southeast. It starts off near Creelman Marsh and Fillmore Flats and, since the land to the southeast is still so saturated from the spring melt, the rainwater that fell to the west runs over it like a sheet of plastic.
“It doesn’t seem like it rained very much and yet the water keeps rising. There’s no river, no creek. There’s nothing feeding this,” said Lampman Mayor Scott Greening.
Through much of the day Wednesday and Thursday, Benson (located 40 kilometres north of Estevan) employed 52 pumper trucks from nearby oilfields to push water over Highway 47 and prevent it from rushing back into the hamlet.
Thirty kilometres to the southeast in Lampman, meanwhile, the town has constructed the massive dike because its storm sewer system runs out to the northwest, but the oncoming water would just push it back into town.
Lampman also serves as the sandbag depot for the area and filled 10,000 of them on Wednesday before shipping 4,000 out of town by noon Thursday.
And while the sandbags and dikes are diverting some of the water, Greening wants to see it move much faster. The land east of Lampman, however, is too flat for the water to flow quickly away.
“It’s like tabletop — it takes so long for the water to go,” Greening said. “I’ve had fellas who have been around for 85 years tell me that they’ve never had to pump water out of the town of Lampman. We’ve been doing it now for six weeks."
Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/rivers+lakes+ ... z1QAmUNRJS
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wx247
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Have been watching the coverage on KXMC out of Minot... just heartbreaking!
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Personal Forecast Disclaimer:
The posts in this forum are NOT official forecast and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or storm2k.org. For official information, please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
The posts in this forum are NOT official forecast and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or storm2k.org. For official information, please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
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SaskatchewanScreamer
A nightmare about to happen (for some here it already has):
Official: Minot bracing for a 'Noah flood'
Published: June 24, 2011 at 4:49 PM
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The Souris River is swelling in size and breaching dikes built to contain the water in Minot, North Dakota, on June 22, 2011. By June 29, 2011, Mouse River pressures and heights will reach unprecedented levels—seven to ten feet higher than the all time record with pressures reaching approximately 16,000 cubic feet per second. On June 22, 2011 the river, breached the levees and the warning sirens sounded requiring the immediate evacuation of over 11,000 Minot residents to include nearly 1,000 Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen. UPI/Jesse Lopez/US Air Force
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Minot, N.D., waits for river to crest
River breaches dikes in Minot, N.D.
MINOT, N.D., June 24 (UPI) -- Minot, N.D., is bracing for a flood of historic proportions -- a "Noah flood" -- with more than 5,000 homes expected to be inundated, officials said.
Eleven-thousand of the city's 40,888 residents had already been evacuated, the Dakota Farmer reported Friday.
Authorities said the flooding in Minot likely will be far worse than had been predicted, with the Souris River topping a 130-year-old record by more than 8 feet.
"This'll be historic," National Weather Service meteorologist Harlyn Wetzel in Bismarck, N.D., told The Wall Street Journal.
"This is a Noah flood -- as in big, large, historic," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district engineering Chief Michael Bart told The New York Times.
National Guard helicopters patrolled the area around Minot Friday under drizzly skies.
"It's very obvious now that the levees have been breached in most places in Minot," Gov. Jack Dalrymple told the Fargo Forum. "The farther west you go, the deeper the water is. Obviously, the surge is from there. It really is remarkable because we all know it's going to be several feet higher as well."
In addition to Minot, Burlington also was underwater. Sandbagging efforts were still under way in Sawyer and Velva.
The river was expected to rise far higher and faster than first forecast, cresting as high as 1,565 feet above sea level, washing 2 to 3 more feet of river water over the city. Waters had already spread across the downtown area, threatening to split the city in two, the Times said.
Nobody could have anticipated a flood of this magnitude, with water levels almost six times what the area's 40-year-old, flood-protection systems were designed to take, Bart said.
The river, swollen by recent downpours, spilled out of its regular channel and cut down a valley to Lake Darling, the last flood-control point north of Minot, Wetzel said.
The corps was releasing about 22,000 cubic feet of water a second from the lake toward Minot early Friday. Flows could rise to 28,000 to 29,000 cubic feet by Saturday, Wetzel said.
In Nebraska, Missouri River flooding still threatened the Cooper nuclear plant but the failure of a levee in northwest Missouri dropped water levels a foot, temporarily easing the threat, the Lincoln Journal-Star reported.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/06/ ... z1QEiIPvVE
Official: Minot bracing for a 'Noah flood'
Published: June 24, 2011 at 4:49 PM
Comments (4)EmailPrintListen Slideshow1 of 3
The Souris River is swelling in size and breaching dikes built to contain the water in Minot, North Dakota, on June 22, 2011. By June 29, 2011, Mouse River pressures and heights will reach unprecedented levels—seven to ten feet higher than the all time record with pressures reaching approximately 16,000 cubic feet per second. On June 22, 2011 the river, breached the levees and the warning sirens sounded requiring the immediate evacuation of over 11,000 Minot residents to include nearly 1,000 Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen. UPI/Jesse Lopez/US Air Force
Related Stories
Minot, N.D., waits for river to crest
River breaches dikes in Minot, N.D.
MINOT, N.D., June 24 (UPI) -- Minot, N.D., is bracing for a flood of historic proportions -- a "Noah flood" -- with more than 5,000 homes expected to be inundated, officials said.
Eleven-thousand of the city's 40,888 residents had already been evacuated, the Dakota Farmer reported Friday.
Authorities said the flooding in Minot likely will be far worse than had been predicted, with the Souris River topping a 130-year-old record by more than 8 feet.
"This'll be historic," National Weather Service meteorologist Harlyn Wetzel in Bismarck, N.D., told The Wall Street Journal.
"This is a Noah flood -- as in big, large, historic," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district engineering Chief Michael Bart told The New York Times.
National Guard helicopters patrolled the area around Minot Friday under drizzly skies.
"It's very obvious now that the levees have been breached in most places in Minot," Gov. Jack Dalrymple told the Fargo Forum. "The farther west you go, the deeper the water is. Obviously, the surge is from there. It really is remarkable because we all know it's going to be several feet higher as well."
In addition to Minot, Burlington also was underwater. Sandbagging efforts were still under way in Sawyer and Velva.
The river was expected to rise far higher and faster than first forecast, cresting as high as 1,565 feet above sea level, washing 2 to 3 more feet of river water over the city. Waters had already spread across the downtown area, threatening to split the city in two, the Times said.
Nobody could have anticipated a flood of this magnitude, with water levels almost six times what the area's 40-year-old, flood-protection systems were designed to take, Bart said.
The river, swollen by recent downpours, spilled out of its regular channel and cut down a valley to Lake Darling, the last flood-control point north of Minot, Wetzel said.
The corps was releasing about 22,000 cubic feet of water a second from the lake toward Minot early Friday. Flows could rise to 28,000 to 29,000 cubic feet by Saturday, Wetzel said.
In Nebraska, Missouri River flooding still threatened the Cooper nuclear plant but the failure of a levee in northwest Missouri dropped water levels a foot, temporarily easing the threat, the Lincoln Journal-Star reported.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/06/ ... z1QEiIPvVE
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SaskatchewanScreamer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDQhbaq5viE
Good coverage ( & almost pronounced Saskatchewan right)....though I'd say the source of the problem was Mother Nature (and agreements made between our two countries regarding water release re back in March).
Good coverage ( & almost pronounced Saskatchewan right)....though I'd say the source of the problem was Mother Nature (and agreements made between our two countries regarding water release re back in March).
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SaskatchewanScreamer
The province of Saskatchewan:[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh2NRxmsHII&feature=related[/youtube]
one of many untold rural families' stories:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL60wNqHtjc&feature=related[/youtube]
The excess water is coming from too much snow and toooooooooooooooo much rain.
Looking at the Saskflood map there isn't one growing area of this province that doesn't have flooding somewhere in it.
one of many untold rural families' stories:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL60wNqHtjc&feature=related[/youtube]
The excess water is coming from too much snow and toooooooooooooooo much rain.
Looking at the Saskflood map there isn't one growing area of this province that doesn't have flooding somewhere in it.
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WeatherGuesser
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SaskatchewanScreamer
I'm so glad the Government and officials in North Dakota have spoken up (that broadcast, above, by PBS caused a LOT of Minot residents to phone the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority and the Saskatchewan Government and they weren't very happy ....irate would be putting it midly):
ND flooding in Canadian hands, but few complaints
DALE WETZEL, Associated Press
Updated 04:45 p.m., Sunday, June 26, 2011
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The causes for flooding along the Souris and Missouri rivers sound familiar: Heavy snowpack and lots of rain have forced dam releases that send river water rushing over levees downstream.
That's where the similarities end.
Unlike the Missouri River, the Souris' water flows are being decided in Canada by the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, rather than the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. federal agency that manages the Missouri River's six dams in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
The Corps of Engineers has frequently been the butt of criticism for its Missouri River management. North Dakota U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, Gov. Jack Dalrymple and at least one state lawmaker are supporting an inquiry into the causes of the Missouri River flooding.
So far, there has been no similar outcry about the Saskatchewan agency. The North Dakota Water Commission's chief engineer, Todd Sando, said the authority did the best it could to mitigate Souris River flooding in Minot and other communities.
"They did a wonderful job holding back not just one flood, but a couple of floods, already," Sando said. "They have been able to hold back big rainfall events, but we just kept having more and more of them. It's just overwhelming everything."
Minot state Rep. Dan Ruby said the flooding should prompt a re-examination of water policy in the Souris River's basin, but he said he was reluctant to blame anyone for the flooding along the Souris, which flows in a loop through northwestern North Dakota, cutting through Minot before turning back north into Canada.
"It's really a difficult situation to try to play armchair quarterback with," Ruby said. "It's certainly a disastrous situation for both governments."
In Saskatchewan, about 15 engineers, hydrologists and other experts in the authority's headquarters and five regional offices take part in daily conference calls to review provincial water conditions and eyeball the status of the Rafferty and Alameda reservoirs, which feed water into the Souris.
The Rafferty dams the Souris River about 4 miles northwest of the border town of Estevan, Saskatchewan, while the Alameda Dam holds back the smaller Moose Mountain Creek, near Oxbow, about 2 miles from where the creek joins the river.
More than a week ago, between 4 to 7 inches of rain deluged parts of the southern province, falling on ground already waterlogged from earlier rains and melting snow. That triggered runoff that Dale Hjertaas, an authority spokesman, said was "well beyond anything that we have ever seen before."
Authority officials decided to gradually increase water releases from the dams to levels certain to cause major flooding downstream.
Hjertaas said the agency had no choice. Both Rafferty and Alameda couldn't store any more water and another large storm could have pushed water over the tops of the dams, risking a catastrophic failure.
Saskatchewan is suffering from unprecedented flooding of its own, causing headaches for the energy industry and leaving nearly 5 million acres of farm land unplanted.
Saskatchewan's energy and resource minister, Bill Boyd, said many oil leases are under 6 feet of water, making it impossible to drill. He estimated the flooding would cost the energy industry hundreds of millions of dollars.
In June, the Souris's normal flow in Saskatchewan is a relative trickle, about 70 cubic feet per second. In recent days, water releases into the river have ranged from 15,900 to 18,000 cubic feet per second, Hjertaas said.
"It normally doesn't have a lot of flows," he said. "This is a river you can pretty much jump across in the summer."
The Rafferty and Alameda dams were part of a broader $100 million Souris River flood control project that included improvements to the dam at Lake Darling, a North Dakota impoundment northwest of Minot, and channel work on the river itself.
The new Canadian reservoirs provide recreation facilities and a more reliable water supply for the area, along with cooling water for the Shand station, a coal-fueled electric power plant near Estevan.
The U.S. contributed $41 million to build the two dams in exchange for flood water storage space in both reservoirs. The Rafferty and Alameda project, which was developed from 1988 through 1995, drew protests from environmentalists concerned about their impact on water quality and fish and wildlife habitat.
At a Red Cross shelter in Minot, where he was forced to take refuge after his home flooded, Bennie Brown questioned the Canadians' dam management.
"They should have been letting water out all year, all winter. Now, all of a sudden, they're starting a flood, so they just, 'whoop,' let it out on us," Brown said in an interview over lunch. "Now, we've got to suffer and pay for it."
Across the table, Ann Harris disagreed.
"(Saskatchewan) cities are flooding. The whole basin is flooding. I don't know if anything anybody could have done could have prevented this," Harris said. "Mother Nature is just putting on her fury again. She put on her dancing shoes and decided to party."
Dalrymple said he had conferred with Saskatchewan's premier, Brad Wall, about water releases from the Rafferty and Alameda dams after the torrential rains. Saskatchewan has plenty of incentive to hold back water to remedy its own flooding problems, Dalrymple said Saturday.
"Our interests are aligned," he said. "They have exactly the same attitude that Minot has. They're willing to go to the tops of their dikes, but obviously they don't want to go any higher than that."
Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/ND-f ... z1QQGcQfbt
ND flooding in Canadian hands, but few complaints
DALE WETZEL, Associated Press
Updated 04:45 p.m., Sunday, June 26, 2011
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The causes for flooding along the Souris and Missouri rivers sound familiar: Heavy snowpack and lots of rain have forced dam releases that send river water rushing over levees downstream.
That's where the similarities end.
Unlike the Missouri River, the Souris' water flows are being decided in Canada by the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, rather than the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. federal agency that manages the Missouri River's six dams in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
The Corps of Engineers has frequently been the butt of criticism for its Missouri River management. North Dakota U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, Gov. Jack Dalrymple and at least one state lawmaker are supporting an inquiry into the causes of the Missouri River flooding.
So far, there has been no similar outcry about the Saskatchewan agency. The North Dakota Water Commission's chief engineer, Todd Sando, said the authority did the best it could to mitigate Souris River flooding in Minot and other communities.
"They did a wonderful job holding back not just one flood, but a couple of floods, already," Sando said. "They have been able to hold back big rainfall events, but we just kept having more and more of them. It's just overwhelming everything."
Minot state Rep. Dan Ruby said the flooding should prompt a re-examination of water policy in the Souris River's basin, but he said he was reluctant to blame anyone for the flooding along the Souris, which flows in a loop through northwestern North Dakota, cutting through Minot before turning back north into Canada.
"It's really a difficult situation to try to play armchair quarterback with," Ruby said. "It's certainly a disastrous situation for both governments."
In Saskatchewan, about 15 engineers, hydrologists and other experts in the authority's headquarters and five regional offices take part in daily conference calls to review provincial water conditions and eyeball the status of the Rafferty and Alameda reservoirs, which feed water into the Souris.
The Rafferty dams the Souris River about 4 miles northwest of the border town of Estevan, Saskatchewan, while the Alameda Dam holds back the smaller Moose Mountain Creek, near Oxbow, about 2 miles from where the creek joins the river.
More than a week ago, between 4 to 7 inches of rain deluged parts of the southern province, falling on ground already waterlogged from earlier rains and melting snow. That triggered runoff that Dale Hjertaas, an authority spokesman, said was "well beyond anything that we have ever seen before."
Authority officials decided to gradually increase water releases from the dams to levels certain to cause major flooding downstream.
Hjertaas said the agency had no choice. Both Rafferty and Alameda couldn't store any more water and another large storm could have pushed water over the tops of the dams, risking a catastrophic failure.
Saskatchewan is suffering from unprecedented flooding of its own, causing headaches for the energy industry and leaving nearly 5 million acres of farm land unplanted.
Saskatchewan's energy and resource minister, Bill Boyd, said many oil leases are under 6 feet of water, making it impossible to drill. He estimated the flooding would cost the energy industry hundreds of millions of dollars.
In June, the Souris's normal flow in Saskatchewan is a relative trickle, about 70 cubic feet per second. In recent days, water releases into the river have ranged from 15,900 to 18,000 cubic feet per second, Hjertaas said.
"It normally doesn't have a lot of flows," he said. "This is a river you can pretty much jump across in the summer."
The Rafferty and Alameda dams were part of a broader $100 million Souris River flood control project that included improvements to the dam at Lake Darling, a North Dakota impoundment northwest of Minot, and channel work on the river itself.
The new Canadian reservoirs provide recreation facilities and a more reliable water supply for the area, along with cooling water for the Shand station, a coal-fueled electric power plant near Estevan.
The U.S. contributed $41 million to build the two dams in exchange for flood water storage space in both reservoirs. The Rafferty and Alameda project, which was developed from 1988 through 1995, drew protests from environmentalists concerned about their impact on water quality and fish and wildlife habitat.
At a Red Cross shelter in Minot, where he was forced to take refuge after his home flooded, Bennie Brown questioned the Canadians' dam management.
"They should have been letting water out all year, all winter. Now, all of a sudden, they're starting a flood, so they just, 'whoop,' let it out on us," Brown said in an interview over lunch. "Now, we've got to suffer and pay for it."
Across the table, Ann Harris disagreed.
"(Saskatchewan) cities are flooding. The whole basin is flooding. I don't know if anything anybody could have done could have prevented this," Harris said. "Mother Nature is just putting on her fury again. She put on her dancing shoes and decided to party."
Dalrymple said he had conferred with Saskatchewan's premier, Brad Wall, about water releases from the Rafferty and Alameda dams after the torrential rains. Saskatchewan has plenty of incentive to hold back water to remedy its own flooding problems, Dalrymple said Saturday.
"Our interests are aligned," he said. "They have exactly the same attitude that Minot has. They're willing to go to the tops of their dikes, but obviously they don't want to go any higher than that."
Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/ND-f ... z1QQGcQfbt
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