News Feature                                                            4/13/2009

Snake River Flood Control Project Reduces Flooding impacts in the City of Warren

The Snake River Watershed flood-control project proved its value again during the March, 2009 spring snow melt. This is one community that did not have to do sandbagging and the evacuation of it’s residents. In past history, the city of Warren has had a history of flooding. Three floods in 1996 and 1997 caused $12.5 million in damages. After this occurred, the city of Warren and the Middle-Snake Tamarack Rivers Watershed District requested assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through PL-566 Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program.

The NRCS plan to solve the problem included a 4 mile floodway to safely convey the excess flows around the city of Warren. The constructed floodway is normally dry and the river runs in its original course except during a flood. To make sure that the floodway did not increase flooding downstream, a large off-channel floodwater storage reservoir was also constructed.

“Had the flood control project not been in place we could have had over $3.5 million dollars in damages,” said Bob Kliner, Warren’s mayor. “The flood control project prevented flooding in the city,” said Kliner.

Preliminary information about the flood indicates that the project functioned as designed. The snowpack before the event started had about 2 to 3 inches of water content. The impoundment at its maximum appears to have stored approximately 4,040 acre feet of water. This represents storing 1.3 inches of water over 57 square miles of area. As a result of this storage the flood in the vicinity of Warren was reduced from an estimated 2,660cubic feet per second to an estimated 1,740cubic feet per second. Based on prior flood records, this year’s event was approximately a 10-year event (10% chance of occurring in any given year).

“Another flood averted” said Nick Drees, Administrator Middle Snake Tamarac Rivers Watershed District.

The late Richard Nelson, former Mayor of Warren worked closely with State and Federal legislators to expedite the $18 million project and construction began in 2001. Before construction was even completed, the area was hit with a flood in 2006 and the community was spared from an estimated $8.7 million in damages. Monetary damages prevented from the 2009 flood have not been estimated yet, but they are expected to be less than the 2006 levels. Another benefit that simply can’t be measured by dollars is the fact that the anxiety and stress on the residents caused by flooding is now gone.

The sponsors of the project are the Middle Snake Tamarack Rivers Watershed District and the City of Warren. Engineering and funding for the flood control components of the project were provided by the USDA-NRCS under the Public Law 566 Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program. The local sponsors were responsible for purchasing right-of-way, installing road crossings, contracting for the construction and future operation and maintenance.

The city of Warren, the MSTRWD and NRCS worked together on the $18 million flood-control project. The city of Warren covered $321,200 of that amount. The remainder came from federal funds, state grants, special assessments and other funds.

NRCS estimates that the Warren community derives more than $ 1.26 million annual benefits, which includes soil erosion savings, water conservation, road and bridge damage reduction, wetland/upland wildlife habitat creation, recreation and personal property protection.
 

To find out more information about watershed program contact your local NRCS field office or please visit the MN NRCS website:  www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov

< Back to Home