City to phase reopening of high river flow precautions

With high river flows peaking over the weekend, the City of Medicine Hat is beginning a phased reopening of parks, trails, and recreational areas to balance access with safety.

While water levels have begun to slowly recede, the river remains high and fast. Current conditions are anticipated to continue improving throughout the week.

The phased approach focuses on reopening locations with reduced risk earlier while keeping higher-risk areas closed until river levels and flow further decrease.

“We would like to thank the public for their cooperation throughout these closures. This is the highest and fastest river flow we have experienced since the berms were constructed following the 2013 flood,” said Merrick Brown, Director of Emergency Management. “Given these conditions, the City took a precautionary approach while monitoring river conditions and evaluating the performance of the flood mitigation infrastructure.”

Reopenings

The following areas will reopen this week:

Tuesday, June 9 at 7 a.m.

• Police Point Park will reopen with some restrictions
• Parkview Close trail section

Friday, June 12

• Echo Dale Regional Park Campground will resume normal operations

Ongoing closures

The following areas will remain closed until further notice:

• All boat launches — including Strathcona Island Park, Echo Dale Regional Park, and Fire Station No. 1 — remain closed until further notice. Once the water recedes to a safe level, crews must assess each site for damage and remove accumulated debris and sediment before reopening. Fire Station No. 1 will be prioritized, followed by Strathcona Island Park and then Echo Dale Regional Park.
• Low-lying trails along the river, including areas in Strathcona Island Park, Police Point Park, the Harlow neighbourhood, Riverside neighbourhood, and Echo Dale Regional Park, remain closed due to persistent high-water levels and fast-moving flows.
• Police Point Park North Day Use Area will remain closed due to high water levels.

Residents are reminded to stay off the river, keep clear of riverbanks, and respect all closures and posted signage. City crews continue to monitor conditions and assess affected areas. Additional reopenings will occur once safe to do so. Updates will be provided if conditions change. 

Visit rivers.alberta.ca for more information on river advisories, flow rates, and projections.

Media inquiries: media@medicinehat.ca