Missouri River dredging planned in Bismarck area

Talk about it

BISMARCK — State officials plan two dredging projects on the Missouri River in the Bismarck-Mandan area to help prevent ice jam flooding.

Last year’s record flooding significantly altered the river channel and left large deposits of sand south of the neighboring cities, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Gov. Jack Dalrymple said in a statement.

The State Water Commission will need to approve funding for the dredging projects. They will cost about $750,000, State Engineer Todd Sando said. The money is expected to be approved at the commission’s Sept. 17 meeting, he said.

The projects are a short-term solution while the state continues working with federal officials to study long-term measures to control and remove sediment in the river.

Ice jams on the river in spring 2009 temporarily forced about 1,700 south Bismarck residents from their homes, and releases from Garrison Dam were cut off for three days in a historic move. A private demolition crew and National Guard soldiers used explosives to carve a channel through one of the ice jams so water could begin flowing again.

Last year’s river flooding was caused by excessive snowmelt and rain. It led to another historic move — the Army Corps of Engineers opened the spillway gates on Garrison Dam for the first time, pushing more than 150,000 cubic feet of water per second downstream, more than double the previous record.

Tags: missouri river, news, dredging, bismarck, mandan