River fight 2011

Saturday, July 2, 2011

By Marcia Gorrell/Staff writer

An area heat advisory didn't stop Malta Bend farmers and other volunteers as they filled sandbags in the riverbottoms on Friday, July 1. With the water rising higher than the Corps of Engineers' predictions, crews sandbagged the low spots on a private levee in front of the main Malta Bend levee.

A line of sandbags keeps water from going over low spots Friday, July 1 on a private levee near Malta Bend. The Missouri River was slowly rising higher than Army Corp of Engineers' predictions. As this picture was taken, the level was close to 29.7 feet.
A farm field looks more like a lake in the Missouri River bottoms near Malta Bend. With the river above flood stage for over 4 weeks, the highest water yet hit on July 2 at 30.12 feet at Waverly. Farmers and volunteers were busy sandbagging to hold a private levee in the bottoms which protects several farm fields.
Volunteers stayed busy filling sandbags on Friday, July 1, to sandbag a private levee near Malta Bend.

Two layers of sandbags hold back water at in a low spot in the levee. Water continued to rise through the evening on July 1 and morning hours on Saturday, July 2.
Seep water has already claimed part of a corn field in the Malta Bend bottoms.
An unofficial marker keeps track of river levels. The river had risen to about 29.9 feet by Saturday morning, July 2. At about 6 p.m. on Friday it was at approximately 29.7 feet.