In a few short months, the landscape of Woodlawn Regional Park has been changed forever.
The spring flooding has caused "devastating" damage to much of the park, with the campground among the hardest hit areas.
RM of Estevan administrator Greg Hoffort said the flood literally swept a number of campsites into the Souris River and has left behind an incredible trail of destruction.
"It's quite devastated, to the point where we are wondering whether if it is salvageable or is going to take a complete rebuild," said Hoffort who added that the Woodlawn board of directors will meet in the near future to formulate a plan. "It's just pretty early and the devastation is remarkable. There is also a bit of the unknown. Do we rebuild and hope this doesn't happen again or when we rebuild do we make sure it is in an area that can stand the water flow?"
Further complicating matters is the fact the river has swallowed up 15 to 20 campsites and with it still flowing at a fairly high rate of speed, there is a chance it could keep eating away at the banks and take more campsites.
"There are about 10 that are right into the river. Another half of an additional which basically renders them useless and then because of the access being cut off, there are another five that are going to be tough to get at even if we can build another road into there. Then, we don't know where the river is going to stop slumping in."
The campsites near the river's edge are just one area of concern. Hoffort said they are also dealing with the silt that the flood has left behind which in some areas of the campground is six-feet deep.
"The silt is in there so deep that there will be another load of campsites that can't be redeveloped or may not be able to be redeveloped. Though we can get in there now, it's tough to even imagine where to start."
Hoffort said they are surveying the park to see what areas of Woodlawn were damaged the least and might be able to host campsites. In particular, there were areas along the road to the Woodlawn Golf Club that were affected less than others. They also have land on the east edge of the park where the chuckwagon track was once located.
Although no final decision has been made, Hoffort said it is unlikely there will be any camping in the park this year. However, the sites located at Boundary Dam are still in operation.
The Woodlawn board will also have to decide a future plan for the two halls located in the park - Doug Third Hall and Rotary Hall. Hoffort said both of them will likely need to be gutted but it appears the structure and foundations are solid.
Though there is never a good time for flood damage, this year's damage is particularly sad as the Woodlawn board has put a significant amount of time and money into the campground and the park as a whole over the past few years.
That work has not gone unnoticed as the campground is usually at capacity for the summer months and areas such as the two halls are also well used.
"The board has extended great efforts building up the park from those who built it 50 years ago until the progress of the last eight years with new halls, new sites, new services and we are back to less than before we started.
"But I am confident Woodlawn will be back and when it is, it will be better than ever. But it will be a long road to hoe for sure."
