The province’s Water Security Agency is warning nearby residents of rapidly increasing flows along the North AND South Saskatchewan Rivers.

Thanks to high amounts of rain in Southern Alberta, inflows to Lake Diefenbaker are expected to hit 13-hundred cubic metres. As a result, the W-S-A has started a spillway release at the Gardiner Dam (pictured) that will have an outflow of 720 cubic metres as of Friday. The W-S-A expects they’ll need to increase that outflow to 900 cubic metres, meaning a rise in the South Saskatchewan River’s level of about three feet as it flows through Saskatoon. No overland flooding is expected.

As for the North Saskatchewan River, stream flows are above normal with a peak flow of 15-hundred cubic metres expected…similar to those experienced in late-May. Those peak flows are expected to reach the Alberta-Saskatchewan border on Sunday, in the Battlefords about next Tuesday and around July 10th at Prince Albert. The higher levels are due to existing moisture levels and precipitation upstream.

The Water Security Agency warns residents along the rivers that high flows pose a safety risk and high water levels could cause property and infrastructure damage in the coming days.