GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - An ice jam that has caused flooding along a creek in central Montana has nearly submerged a town park and is rising into residents’ basements and crawl spaces, leading the City of Choteau to declare a state of emergency on Friday.
The ice jam came after subzero temperatures and was exacerbated by high ground water in Choteau. It is likely to remain until warmer temperatures thaw the blocked culverts and stream beds, Great Falls Tribune reported Thursday.
Water up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) deep was reported on some streets after ice traveling down Spring Creek was backed up, weather officials said.
The ice jam came after temperatures dropped to 20 degrees below zero (2 below Celsius), officials said.
Residents are encouraged to take shorter showers and reduce the amount of times toilets are flushed to avoid overwhelming the sewer system. Sewer main lines are completely filled and crews have sandbagged manholes in the area to avoid further surface water infiltration, city officials said.
The city said Friday’s emergency declaration was needed to access county, state and federal resources to help deal with the flooding, KFBB-TV reported.
Water that was moved from the Teton River through a diversion ditch into Spring Creek was halted about 20 years ago after the state water court concluded the water belonged to people downstream. With Spring Creek being dry, the channel has become clogged by growing trees and foliage, which contributes to the flooding, city officials said.
Permission to clean up the channel and restore the diversion ditch requires multiple permits and authorization, officials said.
“Fish, Wildlife and Parks oversees the fishery, and DNRC (Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) technically owns the ground underneath the creek, so you’ve got to deal with both of those guys,” Mayor Chris Hindoien said. “Even inside city limits we have very little authority to deal with anything in the water. I wouldn’t be allowed to bring a backhoe down here to break up ice. The amount of paperwork and process needed to do that would take until the fourth of July before anything would happen.”
It was not immediately known how many houses could be impacted in the town of about 1,700 people located southeast of Glacier National Park.
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