The rain keeps falling and more problems keep coming.While there isn't a lot anyone can do about the record rainfall that Saskatchewan has received this year, the fact that plans weren't in place to protect infrastructure after several years of high water levels means someone in government hasn't been paying attention.While it's nice that Premier Brad Wall announced a special committee of cabinet members to develop a policy for immediate response to the continuing disasters, why wasn't one in place already?There has been no cohesive policy on how to deal with high water since the flooding started in 2007. Roads and crops have been washed out repeatedly, people have to deal with water and sewer back-ups, and every time they end up waiting for money and inspectors.This may be an unusual situation in having so many years of record rainfall, but the warning signs have been there every year that more damage would be done in the next.A prime example of the lack of planning is Hwy. 5 just west of Humboldt. The stretch of road by the Pioneer grain elevator has seen water levels rise on either side for the past three years and yet nothing was done to protect the road until this spring, when water was already being pushed onto the road by the wind. With rip rap being installed on one side and sand and plastic on the other while the rain was falling, you have to wonder where on the priority list Hwy. 5 was.While Hwy. 1 near Maple Creek was completely washed out on one side and restored to service within a week, Hwy. 5 continues to sit under water after a month or more.What that is doing to the road bed, much less the paved road, can only be guessed at. Now, with official word from the government that they will wait for the water to go down before doing anything, one wonders if that highway will be open anytime in the next five years.And Hwy. 5 isn't the only road that's in danger in this area. Hwy. 20 and Hwy. 2 are also threatened with flooding or destruction from wind waves. If any more roads go out, Humboldt really will be an island in the middle of nowhere. Or at least an island with no exits. Does anybody know of a ferry, or maybe an ark for sale?
