SSask Flood 2013
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Watershed News (The Waterlogged Issue!)
July 2013

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Meet Candace Savage, prairie author and good friend of SEAWA:

"Most days -- good days -- I walk my dogs on the banks of the South Saskatchewan just a few blocks from my house in Saskatoon.
Even in mid-winter, there are Goldeneye ducks down there, tootling around water kept open by heat from the power plant. From spring to fall, the walk is alive with bird songs and blossoms, full of light and life.
Lovely kisiskāciwani-sīpiy."
 
Belated thanks to Candace for reading from her collection at the SEAWA Annual General Meeting. Learn more about Candace on her website.
100 years of flow data on the South Saskatchewan River? Let's check the averages!

 

Environment Canada has collected flow data from the South Saskatchewan River since 1911, and has calculated average monthly flows for all years up to 2011. June is always the month with the highest flows. The overall average flow for this month is 604 m3/s; the lowest average monthly flow for this month was 80.1 m3/s in 2000, while 1953 had the highest average monthly flow of 1640 m3/s.  January tends to be the month with the lowest flows, averaging 72.7 m3/s.  The lowest monthly average flow during the 100 year period, however, was 18.1 m3/s in October of 1936.
And how did our upstream friends in Calgary do? Check out this infographic from the City of Calgary... 

 

ESRD Flow chart

Stop the presses! Forget what we were going to tell you - it's all about the flood now! 

We've checked the charts and done the math... on June 23, 2013, the flow in the South Saskatchewan River peaked at an all-time high of 5450 cubic metres per second (m3/s) in Medicine Hat. While that number may not mean much to most people, we can put it in perspective by comparing it to archived data from the Water Survey of Canada (Environment Canada). The next highest flows in the river were 5110 m3/s (June 9, 1995) and 3790 m3/s (June 10, 2005). And while Medicine Hat suffered extensive flooding a few years ago, the primary source of the water was local precipitation and overland flow in the basin; in 2010, the flow in the river peaked on June 20 at "only" 2140 m3/s. Go here to see the chart above in more detail!

 
Recent flood articles from our friends at Medicine Hat News...
 
Flooded Hatters line up for debit cards...
Redford and Weadick talk financial compensation...
Police Point reopens today (Friday) with restricted access...
 
Tax relief news from the Medicine Hat Chamber of Commerce
 
The Federal Government announced relief for businesses affected by flooding in Alberta. Taxpayers affected by flooding in Alberta will have until August 2, 2013, to file their returns. Read the Press Release.
 
Health-related Flood Resources from Alberta Health Services
 
Alberta Health Services has a range of resources to help those cleaning up, or otherwise recovering, from the flood. From cleaning your house safely, to garden issues, and safe play areas. Check health-related updates here.
Flood shack 2013
 
Timelapse Flood Video  
 
SEAWA's own "rivrchik" set up a time lapse camera to catch flooding in Medicine Hat over a three day period. Watch the building and tree (right side) disappear and reappear!  Video here. 
 
Cassidy
 
And, last but not least, a special shout-out to a furry and famous SEAWA friend,
"Cassidy, the Toller River Dog."
(Cassidy was seen on Twitter and online Vancouver Sun coverage of Medicine Hat Flood!) Thanks for helping SEAWA deliver clean, local water (in SEAWA's re-usable water bottles) to flood workers!
 
STOP! Don't plan anything until you've checked with us!
 
We're very sad that SEAWA's annual river canoe trip had to be cancelled because of the flood. We'll see if we can make it up to you by planning something extra special for World Rivers Day on Sunday, September 29. We'll keep you posted! 

  

To promote greater awareness of water conservation in southern Alberta, the Alberta Hiking Association is planning a walk from the Saskatchewan border to the headwaters of the Oldman River July 13 to July 28. Read more here.
 
Remember! SEAWA has chosen Kin Coulee Park for our annual Shoreline Clean-up. Join us on Sunday, September 22We'll need help if we want to beat the amount of trash we cleaned up last year at River Valley Park in Redcliff! 
 
And, it's official, SEAWA and partners will be hosting a "Below Your Watershed - Your Connection to the River and Groundwater" conference October 21-23, 2013. Registration is now open on the conference website.

  

Join the Conversation
Please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions you have about SEAWA, about land and water issues in the region, or about your personal connection to the watershed.
 
Contact Info
Maggie Romuld M.Sc., P.Biol.
Watershed Project Manager