A large chunk of ice flow down the South Saskatchewan River on April 10, 2023. The flow of the river has sped up this week with the warmer temperatures causing a fast melting of the mountain snowpack. (Photo Courtesy Bob Schneider)

By Chris Brown

Officials watch closely as water flows quickly through city during spring melt

Apr 11, 2023 | 4:16 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Only a decade after the last major flood in Medicine Hat and a dozen years removed from major flooding in the county, those memories are still fresh for many.

As is customary this time of year a lot of eyes are on rivers and creeks in the province as temperatures rise and snow melts in the mountains and downstream.

A high streamflow advisory was issued Monday for Seven Persons Creek but the city’s Merrick Brown says it’s nothing to be concerned about at the moment.

“We’re currently flowing at about 1.8 cubic metres per second right now so we’re expected to double that in the next day or so here so topping out probably about 3 or 3.5 cubic metres per second,” says the assistant chief of community safety.

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“So just to put things into perspective though in 2011 and 2010 we were flowing between 60 and 80 cubic metres per second. So there’s really nothing to be concerned about. We’re in daily communication with the river forecasting centre and St. Mary River Irrigation District so we’re very well prepared for anything that could happen.”

He says last week the city moved to enhanced monitoring to put people on standby in a “just in case” scenario.

Brown says the advisory from the river forecasting centre came as a result of a controlled release at Murray Reservoir by the St. Mary River Irrigation District.

There are other factors that will play a part in creek and river conditions in the next couple of months that are out of anyone’s control, like the current snowpack and any upcoming precipitation. Brown says the snowpack in the Cypress Hills is the second highest it has been in 30 years and warming temperatures in Alberta will cause a fast melt.

As for the South Saskatchewan River, ice is breaking up and Brown says the river flow is moving fast as happens every year around this time. He adds it can increase and decrease at a moment’s notice and it is being watched closely.

“The gauge at Seven Persons Creek where we do actually monitor the flow rate is still not providing us with flow rates. It is providing us with water levels though,” he says. “So the river forecasting centre again monitors that very closely. Snowpack in the mountains is average to below average but that really doesn’t mean a whole bunch for us because there’s so many factors that go into flood potential.”

Brown cautions people to be safe around any creek or river banks.

You can check river conditions in the province at rivers.alberta.ca.