After a record-setting flood week and a show of awesome natural power, the Mississippi River is maybe throwing in the towel. The river was expected to crest Tuesday night in Winona at 20.2 feet, 7.2 inches short of the epic 1965 flood and 9.6 inches more than the 1969 flood. But it appears Winona's 10.5-mile long flood-control dike has performed to engineer's expectations. 

Raging floodwaters swirled and gushed over lock chambers at the dam in Alma Monday while sandbagging crews began building a dike to protect part of Highway 35 along Alma's North Main Street. Meanwhile, in Fountain City, a busload of students from C-FC School returned to fill 1,000 sandbags needed to replenish the city's reserve pile. Boats were used to float sandbags to Pudge's Place in downtown Fountain City, where a sandbagging crew was called out at 1:30 a.m. Monday to raise dikes near the front entrance area of the bar and restaurant. High water covered River Street in Alma, a two-block street nearest the riverfront in the heart of town where 30 Alma area school students sandbagged last week. The lower levels of several two- and three-story buildings that face Main Street in Alma were partially sandbagged along River Street. Alma Mayor Robert Oium said people living in two lower level apartments facing River Street have evacuated. Many of their belongings were removed last week. The south side of Fountain City around the city's sewer plant and parks was pooled with water Monday that submerged a large section of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway line and extended over Highway 35. The Bluff View Cafe and Fountain City Shop on the south side along Highway 35 were surrounded by water and Elmer's Sales & Service and used car lot were invaded by waters and forced to shut down business. Xcel Energy crews were in Fountain City checking lines and services in the flooded areas, worried that power would have to be shut off in isolated spots if the river kept rising. Trucks were hauling in road gravel to build a dike on the northern side of Dairyland Power Cooperative in Alma, where the river was overflowing a banked shoreline. A van parked behind a cottage home along Highway 35 on the north side of Alma was nearly covered with water Monday and three recrea-tional campers near the Douglas Fishing Camp on the south side of Alma were sinking in water. Several homeowners along the bay area at Indian Creek in Milton township north of Fountain City were pumping water from basements Monday. Flooding also was reported at homes and cottages near Indian Point on the north side of Cochrane and Buffalo City where Lizzy Pond spilled over Highway OO Monday and closed that as an access route in and out of Buffalo City and part of Belvidere. Shelter houses at Rieck's Lake Park in Alma were more than half under water and Alma Beach Park and marina were flooded. "There's a lot of damage at the beach park and harbor," Oium said. "It's not a total disaster, but close to it." A courtesy dock worth $150,000 along the riverfront in Alma was struck by floating tree snags and city crews feared the entire dock might break loose and go downstream. "I don't know if we can save it," Oium said. "We're talking some big snags," Oium said, explaining that two or more huge cottonwood trees and other floating debris crashed into the dock. Water was close to overlapping Highway 35 between C-FC School and Cochrane Monday where farm fields are heavily flooded. In Alma, water was being pumped off part of Highway 35 on South Main Street, but the road was still open to traffic Monday afternoon. 

LaCrosse Tribune (Tuesday, 17 Apr 2001)

A boil order remains in effect for Alma, Wis., residents, while other Mississippi River towns keep watch on drinking water contamination from bulging floodwater. 

Alma's boil order came Tuesday from the Department of Natural Resources, said City Clerk Linda Torgerson. The move is a "precautionary measure only" and city water supplies have tested negative for bacteria or other contaminants, she said. 

The order remains in effect until notification from the DNR, she said. Mississippi River water has not entered the city's drinking water supply, Torgerson said. The move affects nearly 1,000 residents who use municipal water. Alma has no current problem with sewage backup, she said. 

Residents who live along the river and use private wells for drinking water are being advised in several communities to boil, or used bottled water, until the river drops and tests show wells to be safe. One of these is Buffalo City, Wis. 

"We're encouraging people that have water in their basement, they should use boiled water and then have their water tested as soon as possible," said Buffalo City clerk Deborah Barth. 

Buffalo City officials held a meeting Tuesday night and decided to place an advertisement in local newspapers to notify residents, she said. Residents use individual underground septic tanks for their sewage. 

Buffalo City's neighbor, the Village of Cochrane, has a municipal sewage treatment plant, and as of Wednesday, no problems had been reported, said  Village Clerk Sherry Lorenz. Cochrane's water, prepared and delivered by the city's water plant, also is safe, she said. 

"Everything is going really well here, so we're doing just fine," Lorenz said. In the Village of Trempealeau, Administrator Jim Mielke said water and sewage systems also are good. Wells are located far from the river, and the wastewater treatment plant is operating without a hitch, he said.  

Minnesota City was experiencing no problems with sewage or drinking water, according to longtime resident Hollis Donehower. "We're sitting on pretty high ground here," Donehower said. Residents use private wells for water and individual septic tanks for their 
sewage, he said. 

The city of Winona's drinking water supplies also are holding strong, said Bob Dunn of the water department. The city is supplying drinking water from its Westfield wells, and not those at the Johnson Street plant near the river, Dunn said. These wells began showing signs of river water infiltration last week, he said. 

Winona sewage treatment also is keeping up, said public works director Keith Nelson. However, people pumping water from basements are being asked to direct water to the street and outside storm drains, not to sanitary floor drains, he said. This will prevent any additional water from burdening the sewage plant. 

Jeff can be reached at (507) 453-3513, or e-mail 
jdankert@winonadailynews.com.