06/25/2026
Earlier in the week, rescue crews responded to a paddler in distress on the North Saskatchewan River upstream of Hwy 734. ๐จ๐ถ
Rescue teams located the uninjured paddler who required transport assistance due to having become separated from canoe after an incident on the river.
The paddlerโs lack of familiarity with this section of river and a very heavily laden canoe contributed to incident.
Some KEY TAKEAWAYS for anyone choosing paddling activities on the river, especially the braided reaches of ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ (upstream of Saunders Campground), include:
1๏ธโฃ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐
Ensure you have the appropriate ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐, including ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ abilities, for the river you are on.
2๏ธโฃ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐
๐๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ, and sometimes day to day, due to changes in flow, level, and movement of natural debris (trees, logs, silt, gravel, etc.).
3๏ธโฃ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ
The upstream reaches of North Saskatchewan River commonly present with ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ท๐ฎ๐บ๐/๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐น. ๐ฒ Tree hazards in various forms are common throughout all rivers in this area.
4๏ธโฃ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ
Some information sources may rate the upstream reaches of the North Saskatchewan River as โeasy โ moderate paddlingโ, due to the class 1-2 moving water. Paddling these reaches is technical river running due to the high frequency of wood hazards. โ Complex maneuvers may be required with little warning. ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ for these reaches of the North Saskatchewan River.
