Water levels are expected to rise to record peaks on Crooked and Round lakes in southeastern Saskatchewan, officials said Thursday.
The provincial Water Security Agency now predicts Crooked Lake will peak at 454.4 metres, while Round Lake is expected to crest at 445.5 metres. Such levels haven’t been seen on those lakes since 1955.
“Round (and) Crooked (lakes) are the two areas we are most concerned about still,” said the agency’s Patrick Boyle.
Emergency management commissioner Duane McKay says some cottages along those lakes have already flooded as property owners build sandbag barriers in an effort to keep the waters at bay.
But McKay added that water levels appear to be stabilizing in most other areas of the province that have been affected by flooding.
“Most of the water that has caused the problem has moved on, but it has left destruction in its path,” he said.
As of Thursday, 68 communities in Saskatchewan were under states of emergency because of flooding.
“We’ll probably see an increased number of municipalities and First Nations that will declare an emergency,” McKay said.
“But basically, the peak of this has gone through, so we’re seeing a little bit of stability in terms of the water flows.”
More than 300 people in the province have been forced from their homes due to flooding from recent torrential rains.
