Red River Continues to Crest
By Hope Deutscher
April 14, 1997

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The people of Fargo-Moorhead thought the Red River had crested over the weekend, but Monday morning the river began rising again. The level reached 37.71 feet, a new record for this century but still below the all-time record of 39.1 feet set in 1897. Residents living along the Red River continue to watch the water as its level fluctuates. Minnesota Public Radio's Hope Deutscher reports.

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN FOUR DAYS the Red River in Fargo-Moorhead reached a new record - and then slowly continued rising.

Fargo City Engineer Mark Bittner says he's never seen so much run-off from a flood. He says the river is so high now storm sewers are ineffective, forcing the city to use six dozen pumps to drain water.

Bittner says he's confident the city's dikes are tall enough to withstand higher water, but he's concerned about how long the barriers can hold out.

THE DURATION BECOMES AN ISSUE. WE COULD REALLY USE A TWO-FOOT DROP - THAT WOULD REALLY HELP US IN HANDLING THE RUN-OFF BEHIND THE LEVEES.

Fargo city officials are asking residents to conserve water, to ease the strain on the sewage system.

Upstream in Wahpeton-Breckenridge, the Red River also continued to rise past the 18-foot mark.

Dikes and levees are being raised and shored up in anticipation of a second crest later this week. It's expected to be at least 19 feet, close to the all-time record set last week.

Corps of Engineers Area Manager Tim Bertschi says a foot is being added to dikes in some areas where overland flooding from the Ottertail River is a possibility. The Ottertail and the Bois De Sioux join and form the Red River in Breckenridge.

BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME HERE WE'RE PRIORITIZING AREAS WITH BOTH CITIES ND JUST WORKING ON THE AREAS IN ORDER OF RANK OF PRIORITY. THE HIGHEST PRIORITY REAS, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE REALLY THE LOWEST OR THEY PROTECT BIGGER AREAS OF TOWN.

High water levels in the Lake Traverse Reservoir on the Minnesota-South Dakota border forced the Army Corps of Engineers to release water into the Bois De Sioux. Officials say the release could result in a six-inch increase in water levels at Wahpeton-Breckenridge.

Residents up and down the Red River either continue to build or maintain levees and dikes to protect their property. Fargo Volunteer Center Coordinator Mark Bourdon says they are looking for about 200 volunteers to start "adopting" flood-fighting families.

YOU KNOW BY THE END OF THE DAY YOU CAN TELL THAT THEY ARE WEARY AND ANXIOUS, AND THEY SEEN THE WATER UP HIGHER, AND THEY'RE WONDERING HOW LONG THIS'LL TAKE, AND HOW LONG WILL THIS DIKE LAST, HOW LONG WILL MY PUMPS LAST. AND THEY GET SO STRESSED AND WORN OUT BY THAT EMOTIONAL ENERGY AT THIS POINT THAT THEY NEED SOME REAL REST. EVEN FOR FOUR HOURS - IT'S AMAZING WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES.

City officials say residents may have to maintain their sump pumps and guard their dikes 24 hours a day for the next two weeks.

Fargo Public Works Director Pat Zavoral says most people want to remember how high the floodwaters came.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PLANTED TREES WHERE THE HIGH MARK WAS ON THEIR PROPERTY SO THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF BENCHMARK FOR THE FUTURE.

City officials say because of the way a faulty gauge erroneously bumped up the crest prediction for the Red River in Fargo, they are monitoring the gauges closely this week.

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