News

Warmer temperatures forecasted for the east-central and northeastern areas of the province in the coming days will accelerate melting of any remaining snowpack and will prolong and could add to high flows in these regions.  While some areas have begun to recede, other basins have not yet reached their peak. 

The late thaw, and higher than average snowpack combined with late spring snowstorms continues to create significant runoff and flooding in northeastern and east central Saskatchewan.  

High Flow Advisory  

The high flow advisory first issued in April and updated on May 4, 2026, remains in effect. https://wsask.ca/high-flows-advisory-for-quill-lakes-carrot-river-and-parts-of-assiniboine-river-basin/. 

Areas north of the Assiniboine Basin (east central) with remaining snowpack may see a surge or higher flows than currently being experienced. These increased flows could produce similar or slightly higher peaks than observed already, in particular at the Assiniboine River at Kamsack. Above normal flows are expected to continue for several days.  

The Carrot River has peaked in the upper part of the basin, the lower part is starting to show signs of receding, but some areas remain high.  

Most of the Red Deer River Basin, located south of Hudson Bay, and tributaries are increasing and should peak in the next few days.  

Areas near Prince Albert are currently experiencing active snowmelt. Flow in the Sturgeon River near Prince Albert is extremely high. River levels in nearby systems, including the Spruce and Garden Rivers, are expected to see similar increases. 

Event Magnitude  

WSA is seeing record flows in certain areas on the Carrot River. Smokey Burn is showing the highest ever water flow recorded at nearly 1,000 cubic metres per second (m3/s), normally this flow would be around 200 m3/s. Armley showing the second highest measurement at almost 400 m3/s, normal flows for this time of year are around 70 m3/s. 

In the Quill Lakes basin, flows on the northern tributaries increased rapidly and the preliminary assessment also suggests that they are the highest on record for Ironspring, Magnusson, and Quill Creeks. 

WSA officials continue to work with communities, providing information on flows as they happen. WSA is proactively contacting the communities identified in the Extremely High Flow areas to communicate the current situation. Along with the five Advisories, WSA has made over 1,200 proactive contacts (emails, and phone calls), with local communities.  

Communities have been working around the clock to protect their infrastructure and WSA has been providing all resources possible to them each day and over the weekend. 

WSA will continue to update Advisories and provide regular updates on conditions in these areas as they develop. 

The Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program (EFDRP) program helps implement emergency flood protection measures for communities, rural municipalities, businesses, non-profit organizations, individuals with rural yard sites, country residences, cottages and drinking water wells to prevent damage from imminent risk of flooding. 

In addition to EFDRP, the Government of Saskatchewan has support for disaster-related costs through the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP). Information and criteria can be found on the PDAP website. 

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) continues to work with communities that are at risk of flooding or currently experiencing flooding conditions. 

SPSA is also in communication with or providing resources to additional communities in the province. When a community is experiencing an incident and needing support capacity or requiring resources, the SPSA can provide assistance. SPSA will continue to work alongside the WSA, affected communities and local authorities. 

For more information, please contact WSA at 1.866.727.5420 or wsask.ca. 

For media contact:
Comm@wsask.ca