Mankato, North Mankato ready for high water

Officials in the Minnesota River cities of Mankato and North Mankato have a simple plan for high water: they'll patrol their 37-foot floodwalls and close some low-lying roads and parks.

The National Weather Service projects the Minnesota River will rise above 27 feet Friday then fall. The river reached its flood stage of 22 feet Tuesday morning.

Mankato and North Mankato have detailed flood plans with various actions triggered by different river levels. North Mankato, for example, begins 24-hour patrols of the floodwalls at 22 feet.

But The Free Press of Mankato says nothing very dramatic happens until 28.5 feet, when Highway 169 would be closed where it goes under Highway 14. That hasn't happened since 1993.

The cities also have plans if the levee is breached or over-topped.

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Information from: The Mankato Free Press

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)