Low water levels measured on South Saskatchewan River

Warm weather is expected this weekend and with that will come more traffic to the shores of the South Saskatchewan River.

However, it could be challenging for anyone planning to put their boat on the water.

“Flow on the South Saskatchewan River coming into Lake Diefenbaker is about 100 to 150 cubic metres per second, which is roughly half of what we’re normally used to,” Water Security Agency spokesperson Patrick Boyle said.

He said the agency has held a higher water level on the lake in anticipation of dry conditions, but warm weather and limited wind can result in more evaporation.

Boyle added the dry conditions are due to a lack of rainfall in Alberta and a late spring runoff coming from the Rockies.

“In June we’re expecting to see the mountain runoff come in. It’s been delayed this year just the way the snow melt has happened in the higher elevations in the mountain headwaters in Alberta,” he said.

The river’s low levels haven’t been too much of an inconvenience for the Prairie Lily.

The ship’s owner and captain Mike Steckhan said when levels get this low, sand bars start to appear and create smaller channels within the river bank.

“To get the maximum amount of control, we push a little bit more water past the rudders to increase that control so we can stay perfectly aligned in our channels. That means because I have to push a bit more water past the rudders, the ship actually goes a little bit faster,” Steckhan said.

He said it speeds up a normal dinner cruise from an hour and a half to an hour and 15 minutes.

Steckhan’s biggest concern is recreational boaters who treat the river like it’s a lake.

“(He could be) running at 40 or 50 km/h. And he even may have a fish finder or he may have a depth sounder on his boat and he thinks he’s fine. The problem is he’s going to hit that sandbar and hurt himself or his boat,” he said noting those tools can only determine depth and not what is ahead.

The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure has closed the Estuary Ferry because of the low water levels on the South Saskatchewan River.