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http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/07/22/community/doc4e28e987ae8c9293790679.txt
Dave Bartel of Huron, project coordinator for the James River Water Development District (JRWDD), gives a progress report during Thursday’s JRWDD board meeting at the Kelly Inn.
Friday, July 22, 2011 1:14 AM CDT
James River flooding looks to continue for weeks, and the final outcome won’t be known for some time, according to a James River Water Development District (JRWDD) official.
The James River’s woes are worsened by running into historic Missouri River flooding at Yankton, JRWDD manager Darrell Raschke said Thursday.
Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers is running the James River at 9,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) downstream at Yankton, Raschke said.
“We have no idea when (the water) will go down,” Raschke told the JRWDD board at its meeting in Yankton.
The James River Valley was already flooding when its northern source was recently inundated with rainfall, Raschke said.
“They received 4 to 6 inches of rain at Jamestown (N.D.) and 3 to 5 inches of rain at Aberdeen,” he said. “The water will still be coming down here (to Yankton) in the not too distant future.”
*
The James River runs into the Missouri River at Yankton, where Gavins Point Dam releases are running a historic 160,000 cfs, or more than twice the old record.
High water levels are found throughout the James River basin, starting in the north, Raschke explained.
“At Stratford (in Brown County), the river is at 21.6 feet. It’s at record levels,” he said. “The flood stage is 14 feet, so it’s running more than 7 feet above flood stage.”
The James River is one of the flattest rivers in the world, meaning the flood water will meander southward over the course of several weeks, Raschke said. The district will need to assess the damage when the waters recede, he said.
“The question is: What will it be like when it’s all done?” he asked.
The JRWDD is working to restore some of the inundated river bottom land, Raschke said. However, that could take as long as 2013, he said.
“With the attitude in Washington D.C., I don’t see money coming to us,” he said, referring to the federal budget situation.
Yankton County Commissioner Allen Sinclair spoke to the JRWDD board, asking them to keep officials and residents in the southern counties more informed about the district’s activities.
Currently, the JRWDD board meets once a year in Yankton, for the July budget meeting, Sinclair said. The board meets six times a year, rotating its meetings throughout the water district.
Raschke also meets periodically with the Yankton County Commission and makes visits to the area.
“We want to know what your (JRWDD) board is doing for Yankton County,” Sinclair said.
Yankton County has appointed a drainage board, which is expected to draft a drainage ordinance by the end of the year, Sinclair said. He also looks for a statewide push for drainage legislation.
Sinclair appealed to JRWDD officials to do what they can to reduce the impact of James River flooding.
“We’re at the bottom of the system. We’re going to get a lot of water, but we hope you slow it down,” he said. “Try to avoid as much damage on this end of the state.”
Sinclair said he didn’t want to pit one JRWDD region against another. He also asked that the JRWDD experts provide answers for technical questions that the county commissioners can’t answer for their constituents.
Sinclair said he feared the losses sustained by the James River Valley long after the floodwaters recede.
“What long-term changes are going on with the Jim River and Missouri River?” he asked.
James River flooding has become a regular event, inundating thousands of acres annually, Sinclair said.
“It would be wonderful if it didn’t happen every year,” he said. “We ask that you (as a JRWDD board) do what you can.”
In other business, the JRWDD board approved the fiscal year 2012 budget with property taxes of $959,725. The district was allowed a 2.1 percent increase for inflation and 1.7 percent increase for growth in its valuation.
The budget includes the salaries of $98,000 for Raschke and $53,000 for administrative assistant Judy Smoyer.
The budget saw little change from last year, Raschke told the Press & Dakotan.
“We moved some dollars around, and we funded for publications and some website development and for salary adjustments,” he said.
The JRWDD allowed $533,000 for projects next year, Raschke said. The district receives project assistance requests far above the available funding, but local entities are still encouraged to submit their proposals, he said.
In another matter, Raschke told the Press & Dakotan that redistricting has been completed for the nine JRWDD director districts. Each district will contain about 13,600 residents. The district covers 21,000 square miles.
Other business at Thursday’s meeting included:
• approval of $50,000 to the City of Mt. Vernon for construction of a waste water system;
• amended the Brown County LiDar funding to $30,937;
• an update on the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) assessment and implementation activities on the James River;
• approval of Phase Two of the finalization of the strategic plan, project assistance application and ranking system;
• appointment, on a 5-4 vote, of Harrington & Associates of Huron as auditor for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 annual financial audits. The other proposal was received from Snow, Huether & Coyle of Huron.
The board also met in executive session during the meeting and later toured southern areas of the James River district.
The next JRWDD regular meeting is set for Sept. 22 in Aberdeen.
Dave Bartel of Huron, project coordinator for the James River Water Development District (JRWDD), gives a progress report during Thursday’s JRWDD board meeting at the Kelly Inn.
Friday, July 22, 2011 1:14 AM CDT
James River flooding looks to continue for weeks, and the final outcome won’t be known for some time, according to a James River Water Development District (JRWDD) official.
The James River’s woes are worsened by running into historic Missouri River flooding at Yankton, JRWDD manager Darrell Raschke said Thursday.
Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers is running the James River at 9,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) downstream at Yankton, Raschke said.
“We have no idea when (the water) will go down,” Raschke told the JRWDD board at its meeting in Yankton.
The James River Valley was already flooding when its northern source was recently inundated with rainfall, Raschke said.
“They received 4 to 6 inches of rain at Jamestown (N.D.) and 3 to 5 inches of rain at Aberdeen,” he said. “The water will still be coming down here (to Yankton) in the not too distant future.”
*
The James River runs into the Missouri River at Yankton, where Gavins Point Dam releases are running a historic 160,000 cfs, or more than twice the old record.
High water levels are found throughout the James River basin, starting in the north, Raschke explained.
“At Stratford (in Brown County), the river is at 21.6 feet. It’s at record levels,” he said. “The flood stage is 14 feet, so it’s running more than 7 feet above flood stage.”
The James River is one of the flattest rivers in the world, meaning the flood water will meander southward over the course of several weeks, Raschke said. The district will need to assess the damage when the waters recede, he said.
“The question is: What will it be like when it’s all done?” he asked.
The JRWDD is working to restore some of the inundated river bottom land, Raschke said. However, that could take as long as 2013, he said.
“With the attitude in Washington D.C., I don’t see money coming to us,” he said, referring to the federal budget situation.
Yankton County Commissioner Allen Sinclair spoke to the JRWDD board, asking them to keep officials and residents in the southern counties more informed about the district’s activities.
Currently, the JRWDD board meets once a year in Yankton, for the July budget meeting, Sinclair said. The board meets six times a year, rotating its meetings throughout the water district.
Raschke also meets periodically with the Yankton County Commission and makes visits to the area.
“We want to know what your (JRWDD) board is doing for Yankton County,” Sinclair said.
Yankton County has appointed a drainage board, which is expected to draft a drainage ordinance by the end of the year, Sinclair said. He also looks for a statewide push for drainage legislation.
Sinclair appealed to JRWDD officials to do what they can to reduce the impact of James River flooding.
“We’re at the bottom of the system. We’re going to get a lot of water, but we hope you slow it down,” he said. “Try to avoid as much damage on this end of the state.”
Sinclair said he didn’t want to pit one JRWDD region against another. He also asked that the JRWDD experts provide answers for technical questions that the county commissioners can’t answer for their constituents.
Sinclair said he feared the losses sustained by the James River Valley long after the floodwaters recede.
“What long-term changes are going on with the Jim River and Missouri River?” he asked.
James River flooding has become a regular event, inundating thousands of acres annually, Sinclair said.
“It would be wonderful if it didn’t happen every year,” he said. “We ask that you (as a JRWDD board) do what you can.”
In other business, the JRWDD board approved the fiscal year 2012 budget with property taxes of $959,725. The district was allowed a 2.1 percent increase for inflation and 1.7 percent increase for growth in its valuation.
The budget includes the salaries of $98,000 for Raschke and $53,000 for administrative assistant Judy Smoyer.
The budget saw little change from last year, Raschke told the Press & Dakotan.
“We moved some dollars around, and we funded for publications and some website development and for salary adjustments,” he said.
The JRWDD allowed $533,000 for projects next year, Raschke said. The district receives project assistance requests far above the available funding, but local entities are still encouraged to submit their proposals, he said.
In another matter, Raschke told the Press & Dakotan that redistricting has been completed for the nine JRWDD director districts. Each district will contain about 13,600 residents. The district covers 21,000 square miles.
Other business at Thursday’s meeting included:
• approval of $50,000 to the City of Mt. Vernon for construction of a waste water system;
• amended the Brown County LiDar funding to $30,937;
• an update on the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) assessment and implementation activities on the James River;
• approval of Phase Two of the finalization of the strategic plan, project assistance application and ranking system;
• appointment, on a 5-4 vote, of Harrington & Associates of Huron as auditor for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 annual financial audits. The other proposal was received from Snow, Huether & Coyle of Huron.
The board also met in executive session during the meeting and later toured southern areas of the James River district.
The next JRWDD regular meeting is set for Sept. 22 in Aberdeen.
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