The City of Bismarck says they are closely monitoring releases from the Garrison Dam.
“Increased Missouri River releases may result in increased groundwater levels near the Missouri River,’’ said Michelle Klose, Director, Utility Operations.
Public Works says people may want to monitor their sump pumps.
The City offered these tips for sump pumps:
- Check your sumps often to make sure they are working properly.
- Having a backup pump is a good idea or even a 12-volt backup pump for power outages.
- When possible, warm weather sump discharge should go to a non-erodible surface such as the driveway or streets. By doing so, it helps us save treatment and pumping costs at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
- It’s never a good idea to run your sump discharge onto a lawn or any porous surface; the water will just be recycled into yours or your neighbor’s sump system.
- Wintertime sump discharge should go into the sanitary system, such as the floor drain.
The Army Corps will soon be releasing more water from the Garrison Dam as river levels are expected to rise…
They’ve announced a 2,000 cubic feet per second increase, starting today. This will now put the total release from the Garrison Dam at 48,000 cubic feet per second. Downstream, areas such as Bismarck and Mandan, will see an increase of about 0.3 feet in water levels. As of late, Missouri river levels at the Bismarck gauge have been between 11 and 11.2 feet. This new increase may cause the levels on the Missouri River to reach as high as 11.5 feet, well into the first half of November.
