North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915

The North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915 was one of the largest floods in the history of Edmonton. On 28 June, the Edmonton Bulletin reported the river had risen "10 feet in as many hours." A frantic telegram from Rocky Mountain House alerted local authorities to the flood's arrival.[2] The Canadian Northern Railway had parked a number of train cars on the city's Low Level Bridge to protect against the debris that had been pushed up against its piers, including a house swept away by the current.[3] Thousands of Edmonton residents watched the flood destroy lumber mills along the city's river valley.[3][4]

North Saskatchewan River flood of 1915
29 June 1915 cover of the Edmonton Daily Bulletin
Date27 May 1915 (1915-05-27)–30 June 1915 (1915-06-30)
LocationEdmonton
Property damageAt least $500,000
($647 million in 2018 dollars[1]), ~2,000 people homeless.

Like all rivers, the North Saskatchewan River is subject to periodic flooding, beginning with rapid snowmelt in the mountains or prolonged periods of rain in the river basin. With the establishment of permanent communities along the river's course, and the rise of an administrative/government structure, records exist recording floods in the North Saskatchewan for the past century. The Bighorn Dam, constructed in the early 1970s near Nordegg, Alberta, and the Brazeau Reservoir, constructed in the mid-1960s, have not reduced potential for flooding on the North Saskatchewan River.[5]

Notes

    References
    1. Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020. and 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
    2. The Edmonton Bulletin, 28 June 1915.
    3. The Edmonton Bulletin, 29 June 1915.
    4. "Look Out Edmonton: The Great Flood of 1915". City of Edmonton. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
    5. Mustapha, A., Figliuzzi, S., Rickert, H., & Coles, G. (1981). History of Floods in the North Saskatchewan River Basin. Edmonton: Alberta Environment Environmental Engineering Support Services.


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