Moisture reports from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority show that East Central Saskatchewan is the region of the province likely to be hardest-hit by excessive runoff this spring.
Early approvals among the hundreds of applicants to the province's $22 million Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program have been announced, including the town of Canora, the RM of Buchanan, the villages of Rhein and Buchanan, and the hamlets of Armit and Erwood.
The City of Yorkton applied for $295,000 in funding through the program, but has not yet learned the fate of its application.
Administered through the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, the program provides partial funding for flood prevention activities such as channel clearing, sandbagging, pumping, culvert de-icing, and construction of diversion works.
The EFDR Program offers 50 percent coverage of estimated costs for temporary works, 75 percent for permanent works, and 85 percent for farm yards.
For residents, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority has set up a 2011 Saskatchewan Flood Information website at www.saskflood.ca. The site features guides on preparing for and responding to flooding, such as instructions on deploying sandbags. Once spring temperatures rise, the website will post up-to-date runoff advisories and forecasts.
Despite this winter's heavy snow and saturation of the ground from 2010 precipitation, the City of Yorkton does not anticipate severe runoff problems provided the snow melt continues at a slow pace.
