Mitigation efforts are helping to alleviate concerns of an ice jam on the Missouri River near Bismarck. The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services reports the river crested Thursday evening and has been slowly falling.
Two North Dakota National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters dropped 116 buckets of water–each containing 5,000 pounds–onto the leading edge of the ice jam near Fox Island and the Heart River confluence. Around 6 p.m. major swathes of ice began to loosen and successfully flow downriver.
In addition state officials received assurances from the U.S. Corps for reduced flows from the Garrison Dam until water levels drop. Emergency officials say they will continue to monitor the river levels throughout today.
Picture: ND Emergency services
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