Too fast for paddlers, perfect for the Prairie Lily: Saskatoon’s river hits a 6

Too fast for paddlers, perfect for the Prairie Lily: Saskatoon’s river hits a 6-year high

Be careful around the river, experts urge, as current more than double the usual flow

Nowshad Ali says Saskatoon’s river is an integral part of the city. He loves spending time on it, but says he'll be taking this weekend off.

“I love canoeing, paddling on the water. Of course, today and for probably the next three to five days, I'm going to stay off of there, as we’ll encourage everybody else [to do],” he said.

The water level of the South Saskatchewan River is set to reach its highest level in six years this weekend. Higher water levels are generally better for recreational paddlers, as they can clear out sandbars, but this weekend specifically is unsafe for most, officials say.

The river will rush along at 700 cubic metres per second, compared with below 300 before Thursday, according to data from the Water Security Agency (WSA). Normal flow at this time of year would be 160 cubic metres per second.

Ali, the president of the Saskatoon Fireworks Festival, is optimistic about rising flow of the river. He says it will clear the way for the boats he watches and barges at the events he organizes.

However, he adds, people should stay on dry land until it stabilizes.

“Let's all be safe and take care of one another and make sure we can enjoy this river for the remainder of the season and those seasons to come.”

Saskatoon man, 30, drowned at Lake Diefenbaker on Saturday

River flow in Saskatoon set to hit highest level in six years

Sean Thody, deputy chief with the Saskatoon Fire Department, is urging people to spend the weekend on dry land.

“Probably you'd have to be an expert paddler with whitewater experience in order to use the river safely and paddle, so we're discouraging people from using the river until the flows come back down to a manageable level,” he told CBC's Saskatoon Morning.

In a news release, Thody said the current is too fast for rescue divers .

Saskatchewan Search and Rescue says only expert paddlers with whitewater experience should paddle when the flow rate is from 600 to 800 cubic metres per second.

At the Saskatoon Rowing Club, the national come-and-try day had to to be moved indoors this year. Athlete and coach Rachel Hahn says the dock is swamped and the ramps are out.

“Our crew went out Thursday, and then we could really tell that the water was flowing faster than normal," she said. "Like, you can just feel the resistance in the boat. Friday morning we got out and we decided not to go on the river just because it was too dangerous.”

The dock at the club is floating free, and the rowers can’t launch the motorboat that escorts paddlers.

Abigail Brook says conditions are tricky, but not catastrophic.

“A lot of people think that it’s really dangerous right now," the athlete said, but the water levels are going to go down. The river is not something to be scared of.”

Her advice: Stay close to shore, head upstream first, and watch for branches and debris riding the current.

Where is all this water coming from?

A large snowmelt in the rocky mountains and rainfall in Alberta is driving the increase.

The WSA has been releasing water from the Gardiner Dam throughout the past week. The flow from Lake Diefenbaker peaked on Thursday, but the bulk of the water is only reaching Saskatoon’s stretch of the river this weekend.

The WSA does not expect flooding. When Saskatoon experienced flooding in 2011, the flow rate was 1,400 cubic metres per second. This will be half that amount.

The level of the river is expected to be 0.6 metres higher than normal in Saskatoon and 1.4 metres higher through Moon Lake.

Silt and sandbars have been grounding the Prairie Lily for years, leaving too little clear water to sail. On Saturday, senior captain Mike Steckhan said the river is finally washing itself clean.

“It’s not necessarily how high the water is. It needed that action to wash the silt away.”

He said the sandbars are already breaking up, and the riverboat thrives in these conditions.

“She’s got all the power you need to get up and down that river, no problem.”

Stephanie Simonot bought the Prairie Lily last season, when word spread the riverboat might leave the province. She couldn’t let that happen: “We need to keep it here.”

Finally, the brunch and dinner cruises are selling out again.

“The water is up … and it looks like it’s smooth sailing for the rest of the season,” she said.

One trainer is so unfazed he’s hosting an event for beginners.

“We'll just be a bit more cautious, have a couple of more safety boats than we would normally have, but we're expecting for them to have a good experience.,” said Richard Paterson, the high performance director for Saskatchewan Rowing based at the Saskatoon Rowing Club.

Last night was the highest he’s seen the water levels since he moved to the city in January 2025. His last week of training was particularly effective, as the water cleared out sand bars.

He is bringing the dock to the shore to make it easier to get boats into the water, but isn’t worried about needing to cancel.

“I'm not so fussed about it. I come from Australia and we're used to rowing on tidal waterways where it goes up and down twice a day by about two metres, so this doesn't seem too threatening at all.”

Reporter and Associate Producer

Maeve Ellis is a reporter and associate producer with CBC News based in Saskatoon. You can reach her at maeve.ellis@cbc.ca or maeveellis_ on X. She would love to hear from anyone with Sask-related story ideas.

With files from Chelsea Cross and Theresa Kliem