We don't call it the Mighty Missouri for nothin'.

Last weekend I brought my new dog Daisy down to what was me and my old dog Titus' stomping ground shore-side west of Sertoma Park.  I'm still amazed at the changes since the "flood" of 2011.  I used the quote marks, because I'm from the valley in Minot and my family still live there.  My apologies to those that lost property in the 2011 flood, but it ain't the same until your home is under water for weeks.  But still, some residents 'round here got flooded hard.  My heart's out to you.

What 2011 did do is insanely change the basic river channel.  When younger Titus and I would go down shore-side, there would be eddy pools around he could splash in and plenty of trees and brush to maneuver through.  Now, it's like a California beach.  You really should bring the Frisbee down and give it a go.  I'm sure Mother Nature will reclaim the pristine beaches sooner than we think, but referring to floods as "100 year floods" has always seemed foolish to me.  I'm from Minot and was five years old in 1969.

Maclean Bottoms south of Bismarck has had enough of the Big Muddy.  People have grown weary of throwing money into the water and so goes an access point to the river on the Bismarck side.  This will put more of a jam into Kimball Bottoms which is about seven miles to the north and closer to Bismarck, but hey if you liked Maclean Bottoms, you're outta luck.

The Bismarck Tribune breaks it down with Bob Frohlich, fisheries development supervisor for the state Game and Fish Department.

<in 2012> The state spent about $1.5 million that year installing sheet piling walls to protect the riverbank, but the ever-changing river channel has overcome the man-made obstruction.

So, nine years and over a $160,00 a year averaged, It's become improbable anybody wants to step up to rebuild a landing that's found itself (herself?) on the wrong side of the waves.

"The whole river channel is sand, so it's easy to eat away," Frohlich said Tuesday. "It basically ate and eroded down and got to the bottom of those sheet pilings; they started sinking and eventually failed a couple of days ago. (The water) got behind them and started eating away at the parking lot."

Good luck new Meriwether's!

Seriously, I hope ya get 100 years.


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