Maple Creek approved for flood protection cash

Maple Creek is the first community in a long list of municipalities to access provincial funds for flood protection.

The Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program will cover 75 per cent of the cost of building berms in the flood-ravaged town.

The southwestern Saskatchewan town was badly hit in June 2010 after a wet spring made water levels so high, they overran their banks, flooding the town and shutting down a portion of the TransCanada Highway for weeks.

The funds come from the recently announced $22-million dollar Emergency Flood Damage Reduction Program, a joint initiative between the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority and the province.

Engineers are currently working with the town of Maple Creek to determine the best way to prevent flooding again this year.

Mayor Barry Rudd told Global News early plans call for the creek beds to be cleaned and berms to be constructed.

Work is expected to get underway mid-March.