Posted on November 28, 2018
Forty years ago, Rochester was ravaged by heavy rain. The rainfall quickly caused Zumbro River and Bear Creek to spill and spew over, leaving much of the city to go under water.
“We haven’t had a major flooding event like that since,” Public Works Communications Coordinator Megan Moeller said.
Now, the city is prepared.
After a series of floods in the 70’s, a fix was born. The Flood Control Project.
Rochester Public Works is on a mission to rid parts of the Zumbro River of muck and other sediment deposits. It’s all a part of maintaining their Flood Control Project, which aims to sustain the river’s channel capacity to better handle floods.
“The flood control project was designed to have this sediment trap in this area,” Moeller said.
As water moves through the Zumbro River channel, sediment and other deposits start to build up.
“It is designed for sediment to accumulate here so that we can come in and dredge it out as needed,” Moeller said.
And about every four years, the sludge is removed.
“So what this is doing is its adding capacity to hold or store water in the event of a major flooding-or rain event,” Moeller said.
Phase one of dredging will happen between the South Broadway Bridge to the Bear Creek Confluence.
“The importance for the community is maintaining this asset that we have after we put the time and money and effort into it,” Moeller said.
In hopes that the city never has to experience devastation like the flood of ’78 again.
“We want to make sure it works in the way we need and want it to in the future of a major flood or rain event in the future,” Moeller said.
Phase one of dredging is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. During the duration of the project the bike trail along the south side of the Zumbro River will be closed, along with the eastern side of 3rd Avenue. Easterly travel lane on 3rd Avenue SE will be closed on the south side of bridge will be closed as well.
Phase two includes dredging from the Bear Creek Confluence through Silver Lake, however that is not slated until 2020.
Source: FOX47
