MISSOULA – Flooding is continuing to impact parts of Missoula, forcing evacuations along a section of the Clark Fork River.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers checked the levee system on Tuesday and confirmed that it continues to function as designed. The Corps also anticipates the levees to hold up, with the anticipated foot-and-a-half rise of the flood waters in the upcoming days.
While there has been a lot of discussion on extending or building new levees, the Corps says at this time there is no plan to add on to the levee system.
“There is a lot that goes into that, so anytime you go around putting a levee down, water goes elsewhere. So in order to do it correctly, a study needs to be done, variables need to be considered and it needs to be shipshape,” said Jess Jordan with the Corps.
“So the answer to that is right now, people are talking about it, it’s a constant piece of communication we are having,” Jordan added. “The Corps is not building or extending any levee at this point.”
Groundwater rising seems to be what is really affecting the area, according to the Corps.
Reporting by Connor McCauley for MTN News
