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| Campground inundated by the Clearwater River, 10 km west of Caroline |
Photo, video and story by Helge Nome
The Clearwater River didn't live up to its name on Thursday, June 7, following heavy overnight rainfall in the mountains and foothills that comprise the river's catchment area. Raging debris filled water whirled under the Highway 54 bridge west of Caroline and inundated a low lying campground next to the river. A number of recreational vehicles were pulled to higher ground in order to save them from water damage.
Further down along the river in the Butte area, north-west of Caroline, the river spread out over a gravelly floodplain and threatened to inundate some homes that were only just protected by a municipal road acting as a berm against the rising waters.
The last time a major flood happened in the river in June, 2005, the river actually changed its course in this area and entered the North Raven River watershed, going across farmers' fields and underneath a minor highway (Arbutus Road) with waters ultimately flowing south towards the Mississippi River in the US. The Clearwater River normally feeds the North Saskatchewan River which waters end up in the Arctic Ocean. This time around, however, the flooding did not break the berm that was constructed following the 2005 flood to put the Clearwater River back in its "proper" place, feeding the North Saskatchewan.
For more flooding photos got to Alberta West Photos here
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