Des Moines Levee springs small leak; no evacuation

7/02/2010 01:10:22 AM

DES MOINES, Iowa – Authorities on Friday plan to closely inspect a leak in a vulnerable levee that protects a Des Moines' Birdland neighborhood from a swollen river that swamped the downtown area two years ago.

Officials spotted the leak late Thursday, but declined to order residents of the neighborhood to leave their homes.

Des Moines Public Works Director Bill Stowe characterized it as seepage.

"There is no hole in the levee," Stowe said. "We will continue to monitor the situation but as of now there is no imminent risk to people or property."

Even if the levee protecting the Birdland neighborhood should fail, Stowe was optimistic the working-class neighborhood will be protected by a secondary berm built behind the levee.

The neighborhood was inundated by floodwater when the levee broke in 2008, and residents have been anxiously hoping that the levee would be able to hold back the swollen Des Moines River this time around.

"This is still a very weak levee," Stowe said. "I would certainly not be surprised, although I would be disappointed, if we had a failure."

The river was forecast to crest at 26.7 at 7 a.m. Friday, nearly 4 feet above flood stage but less than the 31.6 feet in 2008 when the levee failed pouring water into the working-class neighborhood.

The crest was delayed because this week's sunny weather slowed the flow of water into Saylorville Lake, a reservoir north of the city that feeds into the river.

Stowe said he was confident that if levee broke, a secondary levee system behind it would hold. He said good weather bought workers time to reinforce a weaker part of the levee.

Stowe and officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspected the levee Thursday and crews were posted at the earthen barrier overnight monitoring for problems.

Jerry Skalak, the Corps project manager, said that while there were concerns with the levee he was confident it would keep the water back.

"You'll get some flooding of some park lands and other stuff that it will create," he said, "but as far as commercial and residential flooding and stuff, unless there's a major levee failure, there should be no harm."

The Birdland levee failed in 1993 and 2008, and some residents earlier this week headed for higher ground with their important belongings.

Some resident complained that construction of a new levee, which has been in the talks since 1993, wasn't complete.

"It took them 17 years to plan it out and it will take them 17 years to build it," said Gloria Spivey, who moved across the street after her home was condemned after the 2008 flood.