Seeking a stable solution
By STU MERRY
Planning for a worse-case scenario, while keeping a balance.
That's what U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials hope to do and what they explained at a public meeting in Garrison Tuesday night.
The Corps thinks the 2-mile long embankment on Hwy. 83 that separates Lake Audubon from Lake Sakakawea could fail during a time of severe drought in the Missouri River Basin.
For the past 12 years, Corps officials monitored the embankment and tried several remedies, all that didn't help enough. The safety concern is if Lake Sakakawea were to become significantly lower than Lake Audubon, it would create extreme pressure on the embankment and it would ultimately collapse.
Prior to hearing what the Corps plans, a number of concerns were shared among those attending.
What about irrigation? Will there be water? “I have a lot of money invested, we were promised water.” What if the embankment fails? Will water flow in the McClusky Canal?
A number of Lake Audubon cabin owners attended the meeting. They wondered if their lake shore property would one day be high and dry if Lake Audubon were drawn down to equalize pressure between the two lakes.
