Fast melt causes some localized flooding in the Canora, Buchanan area

A fast snow melt has led to some localized flooding of roads in the Canora area.

In the latest spring run-off report, the Water Security Agency said Assiniboine River and Red Deer River are close to their peak flows and the water in all other creeks and tributaries in the region should be starting to go down.

Peak flows in the Swan River and Red Deer River basins did breach the river and creek beds, causing some flooding issues.

In the Assiniboine River basin, water levels in Spirit Creek near Buchanan hit about a one in 25 year high according to the WSA. Meanwhile Crooked Hill Creek near Canora was closer to a one in 50 year flooding event.

The water was running over the road on Highway 47 south of Buchanan this week.

Run-off for Spirit Creek which feeds Good Spirit Lake peaked on Tuesday and is now going down quickly. The WSA now says the water on the lake won’t be quite as high as the original predictions from earlier this week. However, the estimates are not completely clear and the lake won’t hit its peak water level until early May.

The WSA is urging people driving in the area around Canora and Buchanan to be careful of high water this week.