July 13, 2011
Vol 13 No 28
August 5, 2015
After the flood Recipes
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School
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Farm to Table Finds
Doctor recognized for protocol
Debris and driftwood accumulate along the recreational pier on the St. Charles riverfront. The estimated cost of cleanup is $10,000.
Photo courtesy the city of St. Charles
Debris accumulated on the St. Charles riverfront requires big cleanup effort By Brett Auten With the good comes the bad, the sweet the sour. Being nestled on the largest river in North America comes with its advantages, picturesque backdrops being one of them. But when Mother Nature sends out a reminder of who really is in charge of the show here, there is often work to be done. The heavy summer rain led to high water and flooding of the Missouri River, which led to a portion of the St. Charles riverfront becoming a collection agency for a large amount of debris and driftwood. Because of this access, gates to the recreational pier on the Missouri River were closed last month and the gates will remain closed until such time as the river levels recede and debris can be safely removed. According to the St. Charles department of Public Works, river levels need to be just below flood stage (in the range of 20-23 feet) in order to effectively remove debris and driftwood. The last time a comparable pileup occurred was in 2013. “This is fairly common,” Daryl Hampel, the St. Charles Street Supervisor said. “It happens and you deal with it. It’s
part of the fun having a city on the river.” A small Public Works crew has been whittling away at the debris piled up on shore, renting excavators and bulldozers to break it free. The mass started to accumulate since the Missouri River crested at 31.7 feet in mid-June. Though the water has gone down, the driftwood is still hanging around, tied up and trapped by the walkways out to a former Goldenrod Showboat barge. “The water that runs underneath the walkway, we have to get that flowing through again,” Hampel said. “It has still been a little rainy and muddy. We need a good dry out.” Another downside is most of the wood is so soaked with sand and water, it’s not worth keeping – even though you’ll see the occasional wood-carving hobbyist pilfering about the stash. Gateway Dredging is contracted to remove, dislodge and break free the glob of wood in the river. The company’s tugboats bully and push the logs in reverse and when pulling forward break free large portions of the wood. Extreme pieces call for the crane while engine propellers turn at max speed; all in hopes of churning up the jumble. Estimated cost for the project is up to $10,000. Hampel said the city sets aside
reserves and contingency money and the department budgets accordingly to help cover the costs. The pile up problem will happen fewer and fewer times after the barge, walkways and fishing pier are dismantled. The city council approved earlier this year to begin the process of removing them. The walkways are expected to be moved further south in order to join the riverfront to Bangert Island. See DEBRIS on page 2
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