Water in Waskasoo Creek is expected to continue to rise this week as temperatures climb and snow melts.
On Friday night the city closed 43rd Street near Rotary Park where creek water has overflowed onto the road. Rotary Park, including the playground and skate park, are closed.
Barrett Park is also closed, extending from Ross Street to Kinex Arena, and Waskasoo Park has some localized flooding.
Karen Mann, the city’s emergency management co-ordinator, said the creek level did drop a little overnight, but the flood watch for Waskasoo issued by the province remains in place.
“There’s still potential for the creek to continue to rise over the week so crews are out monitoring. (City workers) have deployed sandbags and flood mitigation to the areas of those lowest points that were causing us the most concern,” Mann said on Monday.
“We think we’re in good shape to deal with the water that’s coming through the week.”
She said low areas include behind Safeway and Phil’s Family Restaurant near 43rd Street and 49th Avenue, and along 45th Street near Remco Memorials.
“Those are the areas we tend to see the most impact from the creeks but we believe that the sandbagging that’s been done is going to be preventative in terms of any other significant flooding in those areas.”
She said it’s the first flood watch for Waskasoo Creek in recent years and the water is definitely higher. Piper Creek is also running high and fast but has stayed within its banks.
Mann said interestingly in Red Deer, the creeks and the river don’t tend to see flooding at the same time.
“If we’re going to have issues with the river it tends to be later in the season once the mountains and everything south of us upstream of the Dickson Dam starts to melt. That’s when we’ll see higher flows in the Red Deer River and that’s usually between the end of May and the beginning of July.”
RCMP and municipal police are doing additional patrols in the creek areas to educate and enforce creek safety. People need to keep children and pets away from creeks where banks are slippery and get frosty.
“We appreciate the co-operation of Red Deer residents in minding those barricades and staying away from the creek,” Mann said.
Red Deer County is warning motorists to avoid flooded areas. Rapid snow melt has resulted in road closures and localized flooding.
County residents should call the Red Deer County Centre at 403-350-2150 if their home is impacted by flooding or if they find an unmarked hazard.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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