GRANITE FALLS, Minn. 鈥� The Minnesota River crested in both Montevideo and Granite Falls with both communities avoiding any major issues.
The Minnesota River crested early Saturday morning in Granite Falls at 893.42 feet, which ranks as the seventh highest crest. The crest nearly matches the 893.55 crest of 2011, said Mayor Dave Smiglewski. The city鈥檚 highest crest was 899.84 feet in 1997.
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The mayor reported Saturday that the high waters are being held in check. The city鈥檚 volunteer firemen had added sandbags to a sandbag wall protecting the Yellow Medicine County Museum on Friday afternoon.
The mayor said it will remain important to continue monitoring the river levels. While the river has crested, 鈥渋t doesn鈥檛 mean it can鈥檛 go up again.鈥� The river crested twice in 2001, he pointed out.
In Montevideo, the river crested Friday evening, March 29, at 21.3 feet, the fourth highest crest ever recorded. Mayor Jim Curtiss said the city鈥檚 highest crest was 23.90 feet in 1997. This year鈥檚 crest is 14 feet feet above flood stage.
The mayor said the city was able to complete work to shore up its 1969 levee on Friday. It had been raised two feet with clay in anticipation of the high waters. Volunteer firemen and city workers bolstered the levee by adding sandbags to it on Thursday and Friday.
It鈥檚 now a matter of monitoring the levee for seepage or any breeches, he said, noting that there remains a lot of water upstream in the Lac qui Parle reservoir. The river is expected to remain near its crest level until late Tuesday or Wednesday.
Roads in the area remain impacted. U.S. Highway 212 is closed between Montevideo and Granite Falls. State Highway 67 closed southeast of the Granite Run golf course.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation also reports that Highway 40 is closed at the Milan bridge west of Milan.
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Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine and Renville counties all report road closings at locations along the Minnesota River.
