Photo by Sabrina Pankratz Pictured is the Redwood River as it flows near Legion Field.

Wet weather has caused some high water levels in the Redwood River this spring, but so far it hasn’t caused flooding in Marshall. The real challenge for the city, Marshall Public Works Director Glenn Olson said, has been dealing with high groundwater levels and increased flow into the city sanitary sewers.

Olson said Redwood River levels in Marshall have recently had “some variation, due to the two-inch rain we got.” However, he said the river has gone down far enough that there aren’t risks to the city.

Groundwater levels, on the other hand, continue to be high, he said. Flows into the Marshall city wastewater treatment plant have decreased from what they were earlier this spring, when the city notified residents to disconnect their sump pumps from the sanitary sewer. But, Olson said, the extra wastewater flow hasn’t gone away completely.

The inflow at the wastewater plant will probably also be affected by rain forecast this week and over the weekend, Olson said.

Lance VandenBoogart, from the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, said rain was predicted today through noon Wednesday. Marshall should expect 1 to 1.5 inches of rain. VandenBoogart said it should be cool today and very windy with gusts 45 miles per hour this afternoon through this evening. A wind advisory has been issued for the region, for east winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service is also forecasting chances for showers on Thursday night, and Sunday night into Monday.

Olson said it’s not just the Marshall wastewater plant that has been affected by the wet weather. Rainfall has delayed city construction projects this spring. Ice dams and spring flooding have also damaged the riverbank near the city’s dike, and caused sedimentation in the diversion channel. Olson said the city will meet with representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers early next month to talk about repairing the damage.

— Sabrina Pankratz contributed to this report