/usr/web/www.marshallindependent.com/wp-content/themes/coreV2/single.php
×

Flood warnings in Marshall, Russell

MARSHALL — After a spring full of heavy snowfall, the return to sunshine and warm temperatures over the weekend might have felt like a relief. But now area residents have a different problem to watch out for — the quickly melting snow means lots of water on the ground, in ditches and in bodies of water like the Redwood River.

“The river is high,” Marshall Public Works Director Glenn Olson said Monday. In particular, the water was backing up where the Redwood River meets the diversion channel in Marshall, near North Seventh Street, he said. Olson said adjusting the flow into the diversion channel, and allowing the river to flow faster through town, should help alleviate the problem.

As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service had issued a flood warning for the Redwood River in Russell and Marshall. The flood warning will be in effect until 9 a.m. Thursday. The forecast for Marshall includes a slight chance of rain this afternoon and evening, which could affect river levels.

If there isn’t any significant rainfall this week, it’ll be a good thing for Marshall, Olson said. “That will help the river go down.”

According to provisional data on the U.S. Geological Survey’s website, the Redwood River in Marshall was above the flood stage of 14 feet on Monday. The gauge on the river was at 14.58 feet on Monday afternoon. That figure was actually down from Sunday, when the gauge was at 14.98 feet.

The highest recorded peak stage for the Redwood River in Marshall in the past 25 years happened in September 2010, when the river gauge was at 17.09 feet. In May 1993 — the same year Marshall experienced flooding — the river peaked at 17 feet.

On Monday, National Weather Service forecasts predicted the river level will subside to under 12 feet by next week.

On Monday afternoon, the water levels where the Redwood River and its diversion channel meet in Marshall were visibly higher than normal, with the riprap on the riverbanks almost completely underwater. Part of the bike trail that runs along the diversion channel was also closed due to high water levels.

Olson said Marshall has had some incidents of flooding in backyards, and at the intersection of Minnesota Highway 19 and Lyon County Road 7, in the past few days. The intersection was temporarily closed, and the truck wash near the intersection flooded, over the weekend.

The cause of that flooding was debris washed out of nearby corn fields, Olson said.

“That whole area had a lot of snow,” Olson said, which melted quickly in the warmer weather. Normally, excess water in that area drains into nearby highway ditches, and from there to the Redwood River diversion channel, he said. “But because it melted so fast, the flow came off of the field and carried with it piles of corn stalks.”

The corn stalks clogged culverts, and caused the water to back up, Olson said. Once the culverts were opened up, the intersection could drain.

However, as of Monday there was still a lot of water on the ground in the area around the intersection.

Olson said the Marshall wastewater plant was also dealing with high levels of meltwater infiltrating the sanitary sewer lines. That water was mostly coming from sump pumps and unauthorized connections to the sanitary sewer, he said.

Marshall residents should direct their sump lines away from their homes. Olson said Marshall wastewater was working on disconnecting sump connections from the city’s sanitary sewer.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today