With Airdrie finally seeing some Spring-like temperatures, many residents have been taking advantage and hitting the city's trails.

Safety should be top of mind for trail users. That includes following social distancing orders from the province and keeping an eye out for hazards like flooded pathways.

Kevin Brinson, Parks Department Team Leader, says it's not uncommon for some trails to be flooded at this time of year. He says it's typical runoff, most of which comes from nearby farmers fields.

Brinson says the city can see a rash of water with the nice weather and that there has been some minor ponding around town. As for some of the bigger trouble spots, Brinson says the pathway that leads underneath 1 Avenue NW by the entrance to Sobey's is currently closed off due to flooding.

"The Williamstown, Reunion area, all that whole natural area, that's kind of a floodplain to begin with, so that whole area is under water," says Brinson. "Down by Sierra Springs, it was over the pathway underneath the one bridge. I think it's receding now, but again be careful around that area just in case."

Brinson says so far there hasn't been any issues with flooding at Nose Creek Park. If that changes and if residents notice any other flooding, they're advised to alert the Parks Department by calling 403-948-8400.

"We encourage the calls. We can't be everywhere at once and anything beside the creek, if it's breaking over the banks we definitely need to know that," he says.

As for what to do if you come across a barricaded pathway, Brinson says to leave the barricades and signs be and either turn around or detour.

"We put up the barricades and the signs to let people know that there's a hazard ahead," he says. "It could have washed a pathway out, it could have washed out the under side of a bridge. And we've blocked it off for a reason because we don't want anybody stepping into it, and they become part of the hazard after that."

Typically within a week, Brinson says the initial rush of water starts to recede. "A lot of the snow is gone, so it's just a matter of letting the creek do what it needs to do," Brinson says.

 

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