Rain / 59° F
Rainfall could hurt county
Published 11:03am Tuesday, June 21, 2011Predicted rainfall of two to three inches in the next few days will not be good for some county roads already threatened by high water. Adverse effects also will take place at some area lakes.
Otter Tail County Engineer Rick West and his staff will keep close watch along roadways at the intersection of highways 15 and 112 in Western Township in southwestern Otter Tail County.
“Water is already close to the roadway at the intersection,” said West. He said the same situation, with water close to the roadways, holds true along two areas of Highway 118, northwest of Fergus Falls, and along Highway 12 near Johnson Lake, east of Dalton.
“Seeing water reach those roadways wouldn’t surprise us,” said West.
High amounts of rainfall will adversely affect already high-water situations at landlocked lakes west of Perham, including Little McDonald Lake, Devils Lake and Paul Lake. Lake associations in that area have hired an engineer to study outlet options.
“Runoff, following rainfall the next few days that covers a wide area, will add to already high water levels along the Otter Tail River chain of lakes,” said West. “Water levels are already high at Rush Lake, Otter Tail Lake and other lakes.”
DNR Hydrologist Julie Aadland also will be keeping close tabs on rainfall, area waterways and lakes the next few days.
Some areas of Otter Tail County can expect to see rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch today, according to the National Weather Service, Grand Forks Office. The chance of precipitation is 90 percent this evening.
On Wednesday new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible. There’s a 40 percent chance of showers Wednesday evening and a 20 percent chance of showers on Thursday.
Tags: high water
