Sandbaggers are heading to Lake Laberge.

Doug Caldwell, a spokesman for the Yukon government's protective services branch, said this morning rising water levels are now a concern in the areas of Shallow Bay, Deep Creek and Jack Fish Bay north of Whitehorse.

'It's up; there's a lot of water there. There's a couple of properties up there that have a possibility of getting a little wetter than normal.'

Caldwell said the government will be shipping sand bags and sand today or tomorrow. It's seeking the help of area residents to bolster the protection of properties at risk.

'There's no local area advisory council for that area right now. We're talking to known people in the community.'

Caldwell said the government is looking for the same kind of Lake Laberge community response that has been seen in the Marsh Lake, Tagish and Carcoss areas.

'That's what we're looking for; that kind of neighbourhood response.'

Caldwell said while water did continue to rise last week, the rate was slower than in previous weeks.

'It was a decided fall-back,' he said, explaining the water slowed by one to two centimetres last week with a total rise of about seven centimetres.

He said water levels are currently .81 metres above normal levels.

According to the Department of Environment, water levels are predicted to reach 656.967 metres above sea level by late July or early August.

This year's prediction is about 18 centimetres higher than the 656.783 metres recorded in 2004, when a flood alert was issued.

The average level for the area is 656.4 metres.

According to the government's website, the water is forecast to rise another half-metre above present levels and are expected to reach historic high water marks set in 1981.

Darren Butt, a spokesman for the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, said he was part of a team that's been monitoring homes in the Southern Lakes and Lake Laberge areas.

'We were out there to assess the particular situation. We assessed over 150 homes over the last four days in the Lake Laberge, Carcross, Marsh Lake and Tagish areas,' he said.

'There are a number of areas that are a concern to us.

'Some residents are more at risk than others. There's no panic; there's a concern.'

Butt said during the effort to inspect dwellings, one homeowner in the Marsh Lake area went to bed Saturday night with a lawn and woke up with a small pond in his property.

'A gentleman out there mowed his lawn on Saturday evening. Sunday evening, he woke up to find eight inches of water on his lawn.

'That was a real eye-opener.'

He said residents of the Marsh Lake area were quick to respond to help their neighbour.

'Residents were there within 20 minutes; there were 15 to 20 sandbaggers.

'One of the things that I was impressed with above all else was the amount of co-operation.'

Anyone looking to help out with the sandbagging efforts should call Mike Larsen at 660-4610 in Marsh Lake, Dennis Bouchard at 399-3572 in Tagish and/or Wesley Barrett at 821-4251 in Carcross.