Border flood talks begin

Officials from Saskatchewan have started meeting with their counterparts in North Dakota with an eye to reducing flooding along the Souris River watershed this spring.

The Bismarck Tribune reported Wednesday that North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple had organized a conference call at which Canadian officials said recent snowfall caused them to increase water releases from the Alameda and Rafferty reservoirs near Estevan in order to maintain adequate reservoir capacity during spring runoff.

Managing levels in these reservoirs became a controversial matter after floodwaters ravaged Minot in 2011, causing an estimated $700 million in damage and the evacuation — several times — of about 10,000 people in harms’s way. Saskatchewan Environment Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said Friday that, “once the officials Stateside understood what was happening in Canada, they very much agreed that the proper procedure was followed in 2011.”

Taking part in this week’s conference call were Mayor Curt Zimbelman of Minot, staff from the office of U.S. Senator John Hoeven, plus personnel from the Water Security Agency and, on the American side of the border, the National Weather Service, Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Dakota State Water Commission.

“The purpose of the call was to open the lines of communication and to let officials on both sides of the border share information and then agree to share information going forward,” said Cheveldayoff.

Water levels required for the reservoirs under the agreement between Canada and the United States have been set, said the Tribune, adding that water specialists are anticipating a one-in-10 runoff event in 2013.

Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency said it “was continuing to release water from Rafferty and Alameda reservoirs and, depending on ice conditions, will look at opportunities to further increase storage in the reservoirs before the runoff starts,” the Tribune said, quoting U.S. officials.

In other news Friday, the agency said Friday that an additional $500,000 has been allocated for the agency’s Water Control Assistance Program.

This gives rural municipalities and conservation authorities access to a pool of about $1.2 million this year to help maintain drainage channels and flood protection works.

Last year, the program gave money to help about 110 RMs and nine conservation authorities with their work.

“We’re in a better position than we were two years ago,” said Cheveldayoff. “We’ve spent from $25 million to $30 million on some 500 projects around the province so we’re in a better situation as far as mitigating any flooding that may occur. We’re also communicating with communities around the province; the Water Security Agency is meeting sometimes two or three a day, around the province and making sure that communities are well prepared.”

At a March 11 briefing, the agency said two areas, at that point, have “very high” potential for flooding:

■ The area around Moose Jaw, Regina and Indian Head on the watersheds of Wascana Creek and the Qu’Appelle River, and;

■ An area along the South Saskatchewan and North Saskatchewan rivers between Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

Cheveldayoff said Friday the agency will have another report on spring runoff patterns and levels around April 8.