"In honor of the weather, I would like to discuss: Is there anything we aren’t doing we could be doing together?".

Thursday, April 12, 2001

"In honor of the weather, I would like to discuss: Is there anything we aren’t doing we could be doing together?"

That is how Austin City Councilman Wayne Goodnature introduced the flooding situation to members of the City Council and the Mower County Board of Commissioners during their monthly joint meeting on Wednesday.

After speaking to District Manager Bev Nordby of the Mower County Soil and Water Conservation District, Goodnature suggested the city and county combine their forces into a watershed manager position to aid the already taxed organization.

On Thursday, Nordby agreed with Goodnature’s assessment of her group’s work load: "We just can’t keep up with the demand."

She said the major problem is erosion in the watershed and the conservation district’s goal is to stop the process as much as possible.

Hillier stressed the conservation district is not affiliated with the county, but is a separate entity. The county does provide some money to the group, however. Nordby said most of the district’s operations are funded by the state and federal governments.

Although the conservation district could hire another worker, Goodnature said: "My personal belief is if we want anything done, do it ourselves."

He estimated the city and the county each would have to contribute $25,000 to pay for the position, but said the benefits of the investment would be great. Goodnature stressed, however, he would like to bring his idea to someone with more experience in flood control to be sure it makes sense.

Also on the subject of flooding, Councilwoman Gloria Nordin said she had spoken to some of the residents and business owners who met at The Hardy Geranium on Monday night. She reiterated the group’s interest in constructing retention ponds

"One of the real problems is the community needs to recognize who the experts are in water issues," County Commissioner Dave Hillier said. Hillier went on to explain that a pond 5 feet deep with five acres of surface would hold only 300-acre inches of runoff. "That doesn’t do much," he said.

"We would need 1,400 ponds to do anything and that’s ridiculous," Goodnature said.

"I think Dave is right," Councilman Dick Lang said. "We need to trust the experts."

"It’s very important we work together," Mayor Bonnie Rietz said. "This is not something we want to be fighting about."

Rietz said the city will be moving ahead with the study to be done by the Army Corps of Engineers, "because we need to have a basis for what we do."

Goodnature acknowledged the work the city has already done to reduce flooding and said accusations from residents that the city is not doing something are "just not fair."

He said he does understand, however, how residents could be frustrated.

"It’s time to make some solid decisions," Goodnature said. "If our thrust is going to be to move homes, let’s do that."

Goodnature reiterated the importance of managing the watershed, saying only when the sediment from upstream is reduced can dredging – an idea suggested by residents during last week’s flooding informational meeting – occur downstream.

"As people, we are all responsible for what has happened in the last 100 years and how we have treated our environment," Goodnature said.

"We’ve got to look just beyond the county," Mower County Coordinator Craig Oscarson said. "If people along Turtle Creek do nothing, we’re still going to get flooded."

Levees, dams and other structural solutions to the flooding problem would leave only a greater problem to Austin residents generations from now, according to Goodnature. He said Austin is now living with the mismanagement of the land from 50 to 100 years ago.

Councilwoman Mickey Jorgenson said Austin cannot do it alone.

"We need federal, state, cities and county to be a part," Lang added.

Lang said his fear is people in Austin expect the city’s solution will look like Rochester. All at the meeting table agreed that would be an unrealistic expectation.

Call Kevira Mertha at 434-2233 or e-mail her at newsroom@austindailyherald.com.