Valley City  (CSi)  On Monday Valley City officials were again joined by agencies in updates with discussions and planning on the Valley City and area 2022 flood fight. All members were present.  Major Steckler was in attendance from the ND Army National Guard.

Barnes County Emergency Manager Sue Lloyd inspected rural road ways and reported washouts. When  the river rises above 17.5 feet a bridge south of Valley City will close along the Katheryn Road later this week.

On Sunday April 24, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE), has started building emergency temporary levees in Valley City.

Baldhill Dam resource manager Rich Schueneman said levee installation on Monday was 78 percent complete and is expected to be completed by noon Tuesday, with 8,000 linear feet being installed at eight Valley City locations.

The Corps of Engineers awarded the nearly $1.6 million contract to Strata Corporation, Grand Forks, to protect low-lying areas within Valley City from flooding following the recent weather events.

Corps officials will continue monitoring the temporary levees once they are complete in coordination with their federal, state and local partners.

With water levels and flows, Baldhill Dam was reported at 1266 feet on Monday, equal to the summer conservation pool.  In flows to the reservoir currently on Monday at 4,300 cfs down from 6,000 cfs.

The dam release on Monday was 3,800 CFS at 16 feet and holding until the temporary levees are certified. Then the plan is to bring the river elevation to 17 feet to enable drawing down Lake Ashtabula allowing and additional two feet of reservoir storage.   Flood walls will be further raised.

The Mill Dam has some erosion, which is being rip rapped by the Corps of Engineers.

Schueneman said the National Weather Service long term forecast is for the possibility of more substantial rain in storms this coming weekend in the basin.

He said water from Warwick takes about seven days to reach Valley City.

Valley City Public School Superintendent Josh Johnson reported some bus route changes, and areas of athletic teams practices have changed.  VCSU is operating shuttles, to campus.

Mayor Carlsrud thanked those involved in the flood fight, and the cooperation among the agencies and entities.

City Attorney Carl Martineck said a call center hotline for residents with concerns is now running 24/7 at 701-890-7848.

Residents are reminded to limit water usage to take stress off the sewage lift station.

He added that Governor Doug Burgum and Guard General Alan Dohrman visited Valley City last evening to touch base with Mayor Carlsrud on the flood fight.

Monday’s meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 68, followed by replays.

The next flood meeting will be held on Tuesday at 4-p.m. at City Hall, with discussions and planning on the Valley City and area 2022 flood fight

Under Public Law 84-99, the Corps of Engineers may provide assistance to communities to save human life, prevent immediate human suffering or mitigate public property damage. Emergency assistance will be undertaken only to supplement state and local efforts. An imminent threat of unusual flooding must exist and a state must request Corps’ assistance.