WEATHER FORECAST.
TOWARDS SPRING AND THE RISK OF
FLOODING. (QUALLICH)--
KARASSA STINCHCOMB SHARES WHY
WATER EXPERTS IN MINOT SAY THEY
AREN'T YET CONCERNED ABOUT
FLOODING THIS SPRING.
RYAN ACKERMAN WITH THE SOURIS
RIVER JOINT BOARD SAYS THE SOIL
IN THE MOUSE RIVER BASIN IS
SATURATED FROM ALL OF THE RAIN.
BUT HE SAYS THERE ARE A FEW
OTHER FACTORS THAT THEY LOOK AT
BEFORE DETERMINING RISK..LIKE
SNOWPACK. IN 20-11.. THE SNOW
WATER EQUIVALENT WAS 4 POINT 7-1
INCHES. CURRENTLY.. IT'S AT JUST
POINT-1 INCH. DAN JONASSON, THE
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS SAYS
THAT'S A GOOD THING. ( DAN
JONASSON, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC
WORKS) "THE LOW SNOWPACK, YOU
KNOW, LESS THAN 1/10 OF AN INCH
OF WATER EQUIVALENT IN THE
BASIN, THAT'S A BIG BENEFIT TO
US." THE RESERVOIR LEVELS
UPSTREAM OF MINOT ARE ALSO
RELATIVELY LOW. FOR THAT
REASON, ACKERMAN DOESN'T
CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL SITUATION
TOO DIRE. ( RYAN ACKERMAN,
ADMINISTRATOR, SOURIS RIVER
JOINT BOARD)"BASED ON CONDITIONS
AS THEY SIT TODAY, I DON'T HAVE
ANY LARGE CONCERN WITH REGARD TO
FLOODING IN THE SPRING.
CERTAINLY THE SOILS ARE
SATURATED IN PORTIONS OF THE
BASIN, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH
DAKOTA, BUT THE SNOW PACK IS
RELATIVELY MINIMAL, THE
RESERVOIRS HAVE BEEN DRAWN DOWN
TO THE LEVELS PRESCRIBED OR
BELOW THE LEVELS PRESCRIBED IN
THE 89 AGREEMENT. I THINK BY AND
LARGE, THE SYSTEM IS READY TO
HANDLE WHATEVER MOTHER NATURE
CAN THROW AT US." THE FOURTH
FACTOR IN DETERMINING RISK IS
PRECIPITATION. ACKERMAN AND
JONASSON RECOGINIZE THERE IS
CONCERN ABOUT LATE WINTER AND
SPRING PRECIPITATION-- BUT
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE, IT WOULD TAKE A
BASIN-WIDE
EVENT OF 2-3 INCHES OF LIQUID IN
A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE
BECOMING AN ISSUE. AND--THE
CITY OF MINOT HAS A FLOOD- FIGHT
PLAN IN CASE THAT HAPPENS.
(JONASSON) "SHOWS WHAT WE NEED
TO GET OUT THERE FOR FORCES AND
GET LEVEES BUILT
UP OR CLOSURES IN PLACE,
ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO, WE'RE
PREPARED SHOULD WE NEED IT.
HOPEFULLY WE DON'T." REPORTING
FOR KX NEWS IN MINOT, I'M
KARASSA STINCHCOMB.
(QUALLICH)-- THE EMERGENCY
ACTION PLAN WILL BE
AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE
AT THIS WEEK'S STATE OF THE CITY
ADDRESS.
(KALBERER)-- THAT MEETING IS
THURSDAY, AT MAGIC CITY
CAMPUS--STARTING AT 4-45.
