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After being hit by a severe flash flood on June 21, Eston Riverside Regional Park is once again fully operational, thanks to a swift local response and dedicated community support.
At around 5 p.m. that Saturday, a powerful downpour overwhelmed the area, causing extensive damage throughout the park. Glen Hartsook, who manages the park, said the biggest issue was the complete washout of a culvert path through a coulee.
“There's five culverts in it, it washed them all out and broke open a basically dammed wall,” he said.
That structure has since been replaced with a new bridge, built and installed almost immediately. “Jeremy with Hess Manufacturing built the bridge and it’s now installed,” Hartsook said.
Other major impacts included the erosion of gravel cart paths, softening of the ravines on the golf course, and damage to the main road into the park. “It turned our paths into little streams,” Hartsook explained, noting that all gravel paths have now been regraded and resurfaced.
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The main road into the park was washed out for about 100 yards and has since been completely rebuilt. Hartsook credited the Rural Municipality of Snipe Lake for their significant help in repairing the road.
In addition to infrastructure work, the park’s trailer section required attention after the topsoil was stripped away, exposing sharp gravel. “The municipality had to haul in a bunch of dirt and cover up, so it got recovered and re-graveled down,” Hartsook said.
All restoration work was completed in under a week, with the bridge installed in a day, the road rebuilt in three days, and the cart paths restored in another day. Community volunteers, municipal workers, and park staff collaborated to return the park to full operation.
“We're 100% go,” Hartsook said. “Everything else is back and we’re fully running.”
Eston Riverside Park is a popular summer destination for campers, golfers, and families looking to relax along the South Saskatchewan River. Despite the setback, the park is once again welcoming guests, and doing so with gratitude for the local hands that helped make recovery possible.
