Mother Nature demonstrated her strength on Sunday as the banks of the Rosebud River near Wayne sloughed, blocking its flow, raising its levels and the level of concern of residents.
In the early afternoon of Sunday, May 18, a resident in the Wayne area of Drumheller was mowing his lawn, when he noticed a strange phenomenon. The flow of the Rosebud River has slowed considerably.
They learned shortly after what had happened. A portion of the bank of the river and hill above collapsed under the weight of recent precipitation, tumbling into the river blocking its flow.
The water backed up for a time before it found a path through the heavy mud and sod that had sloughed into the river, and flow resumed.
There were some tense moments Sunday afternoon when a hill slid into the Rosebud River near Wayne. No one was injured and the river was blocked for a short time before the water carved a new path through the material. See a video of the damage on the Drumheller Mail YouTube Channel and Facebook page.
It could have been a close call for a couple of kayakers who were enjoying the river that afternoon.
Marcel Augey and Mike Dooley were kayaking down the river when they noticed the water back flowing towards them. Not taking a chance, they decided to portage. A few meters downstream they came across the blockage and a number of neighbours out assessing the damage.
Augey acknowledged it was a narrow escape, but at the same time thought it was an interesting phenomenon to see.
