I get asked frequently how the river is now. People who don’t live around here have a hard time imagining what we’ve gone through and are still going through. They know from the news that the river was at record height but if they don’t know the landscape, they don’t know what it was supposed to look like without all that water. When I posted images of the river at it’s crest last month, I said I would take some more when the river recedes to see the comparisons. I did that yesterday. It’s amazing to me to look at where the water was and where it’s supposed to be, combined to a relatively narrow channel. It took a month and a half to recede and has left behind so much mud and debris. But green is showing through everywhere and will soon take over.
The river at it’s crest of 40.8 feet on April 8, 2009
The river at 17.23 feet on May 24, 2009.
The closeup looking up river to the Dike from teh Main Ave. bridge on April 8, 2009.
The same shot on May 24, 2009 - notice how high that permanent dike is - the cars look so small.
Lindenwood Park on March 25, 2009 - still several feet from the crest.
The same shot taken on May 24, 2009 - there is a lot of mud left behind.
Hannah is standing at the base of the Dike at 24 feet. The river banks are at 17 feet and the river touched the bottom of the walkway at the top of the image at 40.8 feet, the top of the Dike.
A similar shot - I’m standing on top of the Dike looking towards the river
Still on top of the Dike - look south down the bike path
Then looking northeast towards the Main Ave. bridge
The river had been as high as the bridge in Lindenwood Park - so much mud left behind but before long the park will be very green again.
In 2006, metal rings were place at crest level in some trees around Lindenwood Park. I’m still unsure why this was done but when I was shooting pictures at the park that day I saw them doing this from a boat. The river crested at 37.13 feet that year. This year, these rings were under another 3+ feet of water! [look just below where the branches start]
So where are we today? In the city of Fargo the sandbags and barriers are still being removed. This is a much longer process than getting them made and in place. Thank you extra big time to all the National Guard members who are devoting their days and nights to the removal. All of the clay contingency dikes have been removed. Some of them have been left in place to now become permanent. The massive holes at both Centennial Elementary and Discovery Middle schools have been filled back in and are being grated down. I assume they’ll replant grass soon. Individual homes are busy getting their bags removed and landscaping back in place. Yards were destroyed in so many ways. Talks and planning have begun to determine how we prevent this from happening again - whether it be permanent levees, river diversions, or both. Hopefully we will not see another massive flood before these things are in place.
I’m sure our rural areas are still dealing with cleanup as well. Many lost their homes to the flood so I’m sure they’re either really dealing with some cleanup or are relocating.
People in Jamestown are still fighting the flood as their city is having a difficult time.
I’ve said this before - as horrible and frightening as these things can be, I am in constant awe of what Mother Nature throws are way. In a different way, it’s beautiful. It amazes me not only what elements we can handle around here but also how the city responds and pulls together to keep us all safe. I am thankful to have my camera in hand and to be able to share these things with those who haven’t had the chance to get up close and see for themselves and for those who live far away and just can’t imagine it.
