(Spirit Lake)– Officials say they think they know now what’s been causing some flooding issues on the northwest side of the city of Spirit Lake, in the area of Kabele’s Trading Post. Colin Klingbeil, a drainage engineer, told the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors that further investigation following the massive flooding in that area in June, 2024 resulted in them finding a culvert that appeared to be intentionally obstructed…
“It didn’t just look like stuff that had washed in there, it looked like somebody had placed it there on purpose to block the water, to block the flow through that culvert. So they moved that stuff out of there and then they came back, maybe like a week later, and some of that was starting to get put back again.”
Supervisor Steve Clark suggested sending a letter to landowners in that area, saying it will not only inform them of the matter, but will also encourage them to be on the lookout for anything suspicious…
“I understand people want to protect their homes from water rushing across and stuff, but the drainage law says you can’t change the drainage or block it. So I think maybe to start with a letter would be about all we could do, and maybe police it a little bit more as far as just checking on it once in awhile to make sure they haven’t started doing that, unless it becomes a real problem again. Possibly by maybe just informing them ahead of time would change their plans.”
The supervisors directed the County Attorney to send a letter to landowners in that area informing them of the matter. They noted that if the problem persists, they could look at other options such as installing a trail cam at that location.
