Fargo mayor checks in from the flood zone

Fargo's mayor
In a March 2010 file photo, Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker speaks at a flood briefing at City Hall.
MPR Photo/Ann Arbor Miller

As residents in the Fargo/Moorhead area prepare for the Red River to reach its crest this week, a local mayor is looking for a permanent fix to an annual problem.

Forecasters predict that the Red River in Fargo will peak Wednesday, and that this year's flood will be less severe than had been expected.

The yearly ritual led Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker to ask for a $1.8 billion, 36-mile canal surrounding the city, but the idea has met opposition both locally and in Washington.

Walaker will join The Daily Circuit to talk about the latest developments from the flood zone.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RED RIVER FLOODING:

2013 Flood Season
In-depth coverage. (MPR)

Red River crest in Fargo pegged at 37 feet late Tuesday or early Wednesday
"As the Red River reached major flood stage here on Sunday, the National Weather Service lowered its predicted peak to 37 feet late Tuesday or early Wednesday — and Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker said he believes it will crest even lower than that." (The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead)