A new Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program has been announced for spring 2013 by the Water Security Agency, to help residents who are faced with threats of flooding.
A new Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program has been announced for spring 2013 by the Water Security Agency, to help residents who are faced with threats of flooding.
The program will provide engineering and technical assistance to municipalities, while sharing the cost of permanent and temporary flood prevention works.
Since the last year of big floods in Saskatchewan, in 2011, the government has provided $25 million to help in the construction of 580 permament works across the province.
"As Saskatchewan readies for a significant spring runoff, our government is committed to supporting its citizens and communities faced with potential flooding," said Ken Cheveldayoff, minister responsible for the Water Security Agency.
With the new program, it will cover 100 per cent of the cost for engineering assistance and purchase of sandbags by local governments (such as the City of Weyburn or RM of Weyburn).
This program reimburses individuals for 85 per cent and communities and businesses for 75 per centof the cost of approved permanent flood protection works built to provide protection from imminent flooding in 2013. These include projects like berms, culverts and lift station work.
Also under this new emergency program, it will cover 50 per cent of the cost of temporary flood protection measures like the purchase of sand for sandbags, and pumping.
Projects must be approved by the WSA in order to qualify for funding.
One of the measures to prepare for the runoff was a release of water from the Rafferty and Alameda dams on the Souris River.
Rafferty began 2013 at 549.6 metres, and as of Apr. 2, it was drawn down to 548.9 metres, with the release increased to 20 cubic metres a second, with Alameda having a release rate of 14 cubic metres a second.
In conjunction with the release, the Water Security Agency is also urging caution for people going onto the ice on the reservoir due to the decrease in water levels, particularly on the Souris River downstream from the Rafferty, and on Long Creek downstream from the Boundary Dam, as there is a severe risk of thin ice. A stream flow under the ice is an extremely serious hazard.
Under the Emergency Management and Fire Safety, a cache of emergency equipment has been stored, strategically located near areas likely to be affected by flooding.
