Sourdough Raft Race postponed, but other river activities to make a splash this weekend

The 2022 Sourdough Raft Race has been postponed. The race was scheduled for Sunday, but organizers have opted to move it to September due to river conditions.

Event coordinator Eve Comer sent the following statement to CTV News Edmonton on Friday:

“The Board met last week and decided to postpone this year's raft race due to the following:

• The river flow rate was three times the usual rate
• Two of the city launches were closed (50th Street and Laurier Park)
• Because of the river flow rate there would be a debris hazard
• We use a crane to hoist the rafts into and out of the river and the river banks were too soft and there was a danger of the crane (and spectators) slipping into the river
• Due to the fast river flow there was a danger of rafts crashing into pilons
• Strong undercurrent likely to sweep rafters downstream”

The new date for the race is Sept. 18.

While the raft race is postponed, other river activities are going ahead this weekend.

Kara Arthurs owns River Lifestyle Co., a river tubing company based out of Devon.

“We supply all the equipment and knowledge for people to head out onto the river and tube down the river, then we pick people up at the end and bring them to their vehicles.”

She says the company opened for the summer earlier this week after a delay caused by high water levels.

“We were set to open June 18 for the season. We usually start out in June doing weekends, and the river levels just shot up. All the rain, it was such a wet spring that all the river levels just shot up so much, so we weren’t able to open. Our opening date got pushed back almost a month.”

She says river conditions in the area are optimal for tubing this weekend.

“We’re happy with the river levels now, we’re happy that we’re past the, we’re over the hump of the high river, and we’re excited to get going for the summer.”

“This weekend is going to be a busy weekend.”

Massoud Shafieifar, a river forecaster for the province, says while many rivers are running high, conditions in the North Saskatchewan River are normal for this time of year.

“Levels are within the normal range for this time of year and we don’t expect the levels to significantly rise. There is not much precipitation in the forecast.”

He says the province provides information on water levels, but organizers of individual events make their own decisions about whether or not to proceed.

Regardless of water levels, he urges anyone heading out onto any body of water to use caution.

“Anyone participating in any activity near or around or on the rivers or any bodies of water should be very careful.”

Water level information for rivers in Alberta can be found on the province’s website. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb.