Raft race postponed due to fast-moving current

A favourite summer activity for Edmontonians has been postponed due to high streamflow on the North Saskatchewan River.

The 60th annual Sourdough Raft Race was slated to take to the river from Terwillegar Park on Sunday, but it was decided on Wednesday to change the date to avoid possibly unsafe conditions on the water.

“The big concern is No. 1 the flow,” Ken Evasiw, president of the Sourdough Raft Race Association, said Friday.

“The current of the river is running about 1.5 to two times normal. What that means is the rafts obviously go down the river faster, but the complicating issue is there’s a buildup of debris, especially at the bridge pillars.”

That combination of water speed and debris is something organizers worried some rafters wouldn’t be used to, he said.

In June, Edmonton and the surrounding area received 117 millimetres of rain.

Kyle Fougere, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said that was close to a 150-per-cent higher-than-average amount of precipitation for the month, with most of that rain coming in the last two weeks of June.

Edmonton is currently under a high streamflow advisory from Alberta Environment and Parks, and the city has issued cautions for, or closed, a number of trails throughout the river valley.

The Sourdough raft racers aren’t the only river-users affected by the fluctuating water levels Edmonton has seen this summer.

The Edmonton Dragon Boat Racing Club has had to cancel or reschedule numerous practices already this year, and the Edmonton Rowing Club had to repair its dock after high streamflow caused damage earlier in the season.

Evasiw said the recent stranding of the Edmonton Riverboat, which caused 300 passengers to be rescued late at night last weekend, also played a role in the race’s decision to tentatively reschedule the event to Aug. 18.

“That was an eye opener for us,” Evasiw said of the Edmonton Queen’s trouble.