River Breakup Community update – April 29, 2026 – 5 p.m.

Water levels remain stable. Evacuation alert still in effect for Draper

Current situation:  

The Athabasca and Clearwater rivers are being continuously monitored, and flood protection measures are in place.  Water levels have remained stable throughout the day. Draper remains under an Evacuation Alert. The Regional Emergency Coordination Centre (RECC) remains active and continues to monitor river breakup conditions closely. 

Provincial river forecasters continue to conduct daily flights over the river to assess conditions. They flew early this afternoon and did not see significant changes in river water levels. 

Upstream Conditions – Town of Athabasca 
River breakup began in the Town of Athabasca earlier today. This is not an immediate concern for our region and is being monitored by municipal and provincial officials. 

The ice run is expected to take 1.5 to 2 days to travel from Athabasca to Fort McMurray along the river. As the ice moves downstream, it will pass several monitoring gauges, allowing the RECC to better understand the size and timing of any resulting water movement. It is also possible that the ice run will melt considerably before reaching Fort McMurray. 

Water Treatment and Water Quality 
The Fort McMurray Water Treatment Plant is operating as normal. There are no concerns with water supply or water quality in Fort McMurray. 
Incorrect information about water quality circulated on a local Facebook page earlier today and has since been removed. This underlines the importance of following trusted and verified sources of information, and not community Facebook groups and profiles that share unverified information.   

Local Conditions 
Warm temperatures and sunshine are helping to gradually break down ice within Fort McMurray. This natural melting process is expected to continue. 

We will keep the community informed as conditions evolve. 

• The Municipality is in close contact with the provincial river forecasters. Further updates will be provided tomorrow.    

• Overland flooding is occurring in some low-lying areas, which is common during river breakup. The following areas are closed:  

• Snye parking lot  

• Morimoto Drive  

• Raphael Cree Park and boat launch  

• Tom Weber Park and boat launch  

• Sarah Holden Dog Park  

Important Safety reminders:  

• Stay away from riverbanks, ice and flowing water.  

• Do not enter closed areas.  

• Keep children and pets away from affected areas.  

We have seen unsafe activity near the river. Getting too close puts you and first responders at risk.   

Other trusted information sources   

• Alberta Rivers - Check the provincial rivers website to find information on the status of all rivers in the province: https://rivers.alberta.ca/   

For questions or further information, please call Pulse at 780-743-7000 or 1-800-973-9663.