Article and Photos by Michael Fletcher, US Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District
More than 100 members of Omaha District spent part of the spring in a flood fight in central North Dakota. Heavy snowpack throughout the northern Midwest, terrain as flat as a pancake in spots, and miles-long ice jams on rivers were early indicators of developing flood conditions extending into South Dakota.
At risk were Stutsman and LaMoure counties and the cities of Jamestown (population 14,680), LaMoure (population 994 with a rural population of 4,110), and other communities downstream.
USACE help requested
North Dakota Governor John Hoeven issued a statewide emergency declaration on March 13 that included Stutsman and adjacent LaMoure counties and requested a federal disaster declaration.
The governor requested that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provide flood control measures for the city of Jamestown in Stutsman County.
Team response
"We have 107 USACE members, both in the field and at district headquarters, involved in this fight," said Col. David Press, Omaha District commander. "Our team is in this fight 24 hours a day, awarding construction contracts, constantly monitoring reservoir levels, overland runoff, and balancing what we can safely release downstream against the huge inflow into our reservoirs."
Press pointed out that several of the USACE members in Jamestown were involved 12 years before during 1997 flood conditions.
USACE built Pipestem Dam and reservoir on the Pipestem River, just north of Jamestown, after a similar snow pack in 1969 flooded the city with 6,700 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water, causing major damage.
Since construction of the reservoir, the most water released through Jamestown was a combined flow of 1,800 cfs from Pipestem and the nearby Bureau of Reclamation Jamestown Dam on the James River. USACE controls Jamestown Dam releases for the Bureau of Reclamation during flood conditions.
At work
USACE established a presence in Jamestown and went to work on advance measures, which are activities performed to protect against loss of life and damage to improved property from flooding.
USACE engineers, hydrologists, and emergency management met with Jamestown city, county, and state teams and briefed residents on what they could expect under the anticipated conditions.
Under Public Law 84-99, USACE is authorized to provide technical assistance, advance measures, or direct assistance to alleviate flood threats upon request of the state. Advance measures complement the efforts of state and local agencies.
USACE engineers inspected levees still in place from a 1997 flood and determined what measures were needed at various flood stages to protect the increased population and infrastructure from a swollen river. Hydrologists updated daily predictions used to determine flow releases. Contracts were prepared and awarded for construction of temporary levees.
The USACE analysis predicted up to 4,000 cfs in Jamestown at the confluence from Pipestem and Jamestown reservoirs.
Weather complications
The amount of snow water in the Upper James River Basin upstream of Jamestown was similar to conditions that caused 1997 flooding, but warmer temperatures this spring caused record inflow into the reservoirs.
"The Jamestown Dam record (reservoir surface elevation) was set in 1997 at 1,445.7 feet mean sea level (msl)," said Tim Temeyer, Omaha District. "The new record was set on April 15 at 1,446.7 msl and continues to rise."
Todd Lindquist, an engineer with USACE and operations project manager at Garrison Dam, N.D., said more than $3 million is going into levee building along the river in Jamestown.
Additional contracts managed the clean-up and removal of temporary levees once the rivers return to normal.
Local action
"The residents of the Jamestown area are really top quality," Press said. "They rolled up their sleeves and asked how they can help, what they could do. It is a breath of fresh air working with them and seeing them helping their neighbors. They appreciate what USACE is doing, and it’s great to be appreciated."
The governor flew to Jamestown April 20 to view the flood fight measures.
"The preparation and coordination between the Corps and the local officials really shows," Hoeven said. "This coming together is heartwarming. We count on you guys."
Warmer-than-normal temperatures and forecasts of higher-than-anticipated inflow into the reservoirs caused USACE to modify plans and award contracts to protect Jamestown from increased flows below the confluence of Pipestem Creek and the James River.
Water flows
On April 18 advance measures were in place to handle 4,000 cfs combined flows. More than 5.5 miles of new levee construction were complete.
A 24-hour watch on the two reservoirs monitored reservoir levels, spillways, and seepage. National Guard Soldiers walk levees around the clock to check for problem areas.
Jamestown Dam was expected to spill over its spillway for the first time since it was built in 1953. The overflow was expected to last for two weeks, with releases through the dam’s gates adjusted to maintain desired levels downstream.
A sustained combined release from the two reservoirs of 3,000 to 4,000 cfs at the James River confluence may last four-to-six weeks, followed by a sustained release of 1,800 cfs throughout the summer.
PHOTOS:
Top, a USACE contractor builds a temporary levee in Jamestown, N.D.
Center, USACE inspectors and contractors prepare to install HESCO Bastion Concertainers on the James River in Jamestown, N.D.
Bottom, hundreds of volunteers worked in shifts to fill more than 100,000 sandbags in Jamestown, N.D.