Town of Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie is reminding people to stay clear of the river during the ice break-up period. (Facebook/Ames Leslie)

By Angela Brown

River safety

Residents advised to stay away from North Saskatchewan River during ice break-up

Apr 27, 2020 | 12:51 PM

Residents are advised to keep their distance from the North Saskatchewan River during the spring ice break-up period.

Town of Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie said it is dangerous to get too close to the river during this time.

“I just advise residents to be careful,” he said. “When the ice chunks start to flow down the river, people like to come and check it out. But please do it from a safe distance. As we all know, river water can suck people in pretty quick, and that’s the last thing we need to have happen.”

The Water Security Agency recently alerted the public of the potential for localized flooding due to ice jamming along parts of the North Saskatchewan River.

The City of North Battleford is asking people to avoid coming too close to the river until the ice break-up is complete.

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In a statement, Director of Protective Services and Fire Chief Lindsay Holm said sloughs, dugouts and other bodies of water with ice should be avoided, since the ice is thin and unsafe.

He said ice jams are also possible and may cause flooding conditions in low-lying areas.

Holm said the increased level and flow of water are “eroding and undercutting the shore, which could cause parts of the riverbank to suddenly collapse into the river,” as a concern.

In assessing the river conditions Monday, Holm noticed significant water flow.

“There are some fairly big ice chunks that are moving down through the river right now,” he told battlefordsNOW. “There is a lot of debris in it with high turbidity in the water as well.”

“We are not experiencing any flooding conditions due to ice jams, but it is something we are going to be monitoring for a little while here,” he added.

He added he is not aware of any damage from ice break up currently, but said there is a bit of overspill of the banks on the south side of the river.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW