Melita has high hopes for dike
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/02/2017 (3383 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Melita’s mayor believes his community can cope with whatever floodwaters try to breach their borders, thanks to the building of a new $6-million dike.
But don’t tell Bill Holden he doesn’t have licence to wait anxiously.
“We quit saying that we’re not worried about anything after 2014 and 2011,” Holden said, referring to the treacherous floods the community held back.
In 2015, Melita completed construction on a 4.5-kilometre flood protection dike at a cost of approximately $6 million. Holden said it is a metre and a half higher than the previous dike.
Before then, Melita underwent flood-protection improvements in 2009, which included work on the ring dike and raised road beds on Highway 3.
Holden said 2011’s weather event was the flood of record, when tube dikes on top of Melita’s embankment were the only obstacles holding the waters back.
In 2014, the community’s mitigation infrastructure was sufficient, but territory outside it was flooded out, including five pedestrian bridges at the golf course along with three vehicle bridges within a mile of Melita.
This fall, the amount of water in the Souris River, which runs through the eastern edge of Melita, was higher than normal, which induced flooding concerns.
However, a warm spell through much of February has melted some snow, approximately two to three feet, Holden estimates.
This may lessen the severity of the expected flooding. The speed of the snow melt, thawing of the ground and the accumulation of early spring precipitation are key factors in determining a flood’s overall effect.
In preparation for this spring, Holden said the community is preparing to set up two six-inch pumps at the low-lying River Park at the east of town to extract water from the community.
Immediately outside Melita, the Municipality of Two Borders may not be so lucky fending off overland flooding. In 2014, the rushing waters damaged 56 bridges.
“We hope we’re in a situation where we can help others out,” Holden said.
» The Brandon Sun