Flood Updates

With all the rain we have been getting things are looking a bit ugly for climbers and a bit scary for boaters. Hikers, well, just pretend you are in the Shangra La of Vancouver.

Actually if you are looking for some tidbits of information about the flood, check out the forums at calpaddle for things from a kayaker's point of view. You can also check out the snow pack, river flows and damn levels at the Alberta Environment site. Right now though, it looks like the big storm is mainly hitting the prairies. Waterton hasn't had nearly as much rain as Mountain View. That means that although the prairie rivers are higher than they were in the flood of '95 the lake hasn't gotten into flood mode. In fact the upper mountains seem to be on the verge of getting snow right now instead of rain. For instance, out by Mountain View, locals said it was close to 0 this morning. From being out Sunday, it looks like the mountain creeks while high, aren't in flood stage yet - well at least the ones with minimum drainage.

Of course if you are looking for some drier areas, even Stone Hills is getting hit.

For some good reading try the Flood stories page. Here is the Kootenay version:

A small gray bird, despite the prohibition of her husband (a chicken hawk, Accipiter cooperi), bathed in a certain lake after picking berries in the hot sun. There she was seized and raped by a giant in the lake. The bird's husband shot the monster, who in revenge swallowed up all the water to keep others from having it. The woman pulled out the arrow, and the water rushed forth in a torrent. The husband and wife escaped to a mountain until the flood receded. (In variant versions, the woman was seized by a giant fish or water animal. The husband killed it, and its blood caused the flood. The husband escaped up a tree.