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Published February 21, 2010, 07:58 AM

Ice build-up on the Red River is causing concern

Breckenridge, Minn. (WDAY TV) - People in the southern valley have a potentially dangerous problem staring them down. Ice has built up more than usual on the Red River and its causing concern. Ice chunks can catch on to one another and build up like a wall that can raise the river level 3 to 4 feet in a couple hours.

By: Todd Kurtz, WDAY

  • Ice jams
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    Richels says when the ice starts moving, the jams usually occur at bridges or spots where the river gets narrow.

Wilkin County Engineer Tom Richels is checking ice thickness on the river. At 28 inches in some spots he says it's 2 to 3 times thicker than most years.

"With the wrong conditions, I guess you'd say when this ice starts to move, it certainly has more potential to dam up."

Richels says rivers usually go through 3 stages when melting out. First water flows on the outside near the banks, and then ice on the inside will raise up and crack down the middle. The last part is the ice breaking up even more and moving down stream.

"There will be pieces as big as a car."

Richels says when the ice starts moving, the jams usually occur at bridges or spots where the river gets narrow. He says some of those narrow spots are by houses on each side of the river, making it very difficult for them to get in there and break up the jams.

"It's just not set up right for it. If the ice would jam up against the bridge here or there's 2 vehicle bridges and 1 railroad bridge, then we can get at it with a back hoe and push it underneath the bridge and that works pretty well."

They've tried different techniques to break up the ice and help the melting process, but were unsuccessful. Richels says with ice jams, they're at the mercy of Mother Nature. The river is patrolled constantly for problems once flooding starts.

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