From invisible to visible

East Grand Forks got the southern half of its "invisible floodwall" erected downtown on Monday and was planning to get the northern half up today, but the big storm could get in the way.

"That's why we're doing it now," said public works Superintendent John Wachter. A delay now when the snow has just begun melting is not a big deal, he said, but it would be closer to flood season.

City crews need about a day to get the floodwall up, with a little more time in the following days to ensure everything is tightened down and ready for flooding, he said. From now until the stop logs are taken down, they'll inspect the floodwall daily, he said.

The invisible floodwall is so called because most of it is made of stop logs that lock into place between pillars. This allows the wall to be taken down when there's no flooding, preserving the view of the river for downtown's riverside restaurants and bars. Flood Control America, which makes the system, says there are 150 similar systems around the country from Seattle to Clewiston, Fla.

Tags: north dakota flooding, weatehr