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Lethbridge begins flood clean up

Lethbridge residents woke Saturday morning, bracing themselves for the worst.

But amid disasters in neighboring communities, Oldman River seems to have spared much of the river bottom.

Officials say the worst is over for our community, lifting the state of local emergency, but still warning residents of high flow rate and dangerous debris.

“City crews are still assessing the damage to some of the river banks, so we are reminding people to stay away from the river banks, as they are unstable,” said Lethbridge Fire Chief Brian Cornforth.

The river valley has been re-opened with limited access. Pathways close to the river are still submerged, but both Fort Whoop-Up and Helen Schuler Nature Centre were untouched by the flood.

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Both facilities were evacuated Thursday, in an attempt to save precious artifacts, which is why the city says the re-entry process will begin in the coming week.

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“Helen Schular obviously doesn’t have the number of artifacts and specifics that the Fort does, so the timeline of how long it will take us to do that is directly proportionate to the number of things we need to move back into the facilities,” said Jason Freund, Recreation Services Manager for the City of Lethbridge.

While Fort Whoop-Up and Helen Schuler Nature Centre won’t be facing a lengthy clean up, Paradise Canyon Golf Resort has only just begun to assess its flood damage, but won’t know the full extent until the Oldman River begins to recede.

6 holes on the course are partially submerged and facing silt damage, but the course’s main concern will be recovering hole 17.

“Number 17 is still fully under water, right through the fairway to the tee box,” said General Manager Mike Fleschhauer. “We’re not sure if the cart path is still there, we’re not sure if any erosion’s happened.”

Residents in Paradise Canyon were warned to evacuate, but were unaffected by rising flood waters.

Bridgeview RV Resort was also evacuated and the extent of its damage remains unknown.

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