Sewage Lagoons in Plains are under threat
The bank of the Clark Fork River is being cut away by rising water as it sits behind the waste water treatment lagoons (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
The bank of the Clark Fork River is being cut away by rising water as it sits behind the waste water treatment lagoons (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Plains Mayor Danny Rowan, Sanders County Commissioner Carol Brooker and Sanders COunty Emergency Manager Bill Naegeli meet with other officials to discuss the impending emergency along the banks of the Clark Fork River in Plains last week (Erin Jusseaume/Clark Fork Valley Press)
A fence post that was standing Friday morning, was later washed away that afternoon by river bank being washed into the Clark Fork River behind the waste water treatment lagoons (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
The river bank continues to be cut away by the Clark Fork River over the weekend (photo supplied by Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department)
An areial view providing a look at the dangers of how close the Clark Fork River is to creating a possbile enviornmental danger at the waste water treatment lagoons in Plains (photo supplied by the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Department)
As the water in the Clark Fork began to rise the past few weeks due to recent rain and winter run offs, the banks began to cut away behind the water treatment lagoons in Plains.
Plains Mayor Danny Rowan said between Friday, 27th of April and May, 4th, the bank had 18 feet wash into the river; putting the sewage lagoons a great risk.
“The city doesn’t have the ability nor the money to do this kind of project on our own. The Army Corp of Engineers in this situation is really the only agency that can come in on short notice to be able to come in here and do the work that needs to be done,” expressed Plains City Mayor Danny Rowan.
With the loss of bank footage that sits behind the lagoons, and more predicted water run off expected, the water treatment lagoons are in serious jeopardy of leaching untreated water into the Clark Fork River.
Since 2012 there has been over 65 feet of bank lost to the river, with local government having staked the bank for measurement in 2014; they say that the 2018 run off is likely to have a grave impact on the environment.
As recently as last Friday, Bill Naegeli the Sanders County Emergency Manager along with Sanders County Commissioner Carol Brooker met with Rowan and other council members as well as representatives of the City Works Department and Rocky Mountain Surveyors to assess the current situation.
“In relation to the waste water treatment plant here in Plains and the high snow pack that is still in the mountains; will increase the flow rate of the Clark Fork river and adding to the threat of the water water treatment plant. This means we have had to do some mitigation on the bank of the Clark Fork,” said Naegeli.
Rowan had said at the informal meeting that he had made a Declaration of Emergency for Plains which was required for the US Army Corps Engineers Northwestern Division to enable swift aid to prevent a catastrophic incident.
Due to procedures that have to be followed, Rowan said that making the declaration did not come lightly.
“We’ve asked the Army Corp of Engineers to have a look at our situation and possibly give us some assistance,” added Naegeli.
“My roll is to be here to support the mayor and support the city with my staff and the county staff including county road crews, where ever it is needed,” said Brooker of the County’s position.
“Bill Naegeli takes a bigger role in this situation than the County Commissioners, but we will be here to support the mayor and the citizens as best we can through this process,” she added.
“Part of the process of getting aid from the Army Corp of Engineers was declaring a State of Emergency, which is what I did yesterday [May 3,2018], so now it’s waiting on them to come in and let us know what they are willing to do to mitigate this potential emergency from turning into a disaster,” expressed Rowan.
He said when he was made aware of the dyer situation, he new that it had come to the point where immediate action had to be taken before a catastrophic event took place.
Rowan also expressed that he along with City Council members had been monitoring the banks that run along the Lagoons and hoped that this kind of emergency wouldn’t have happened this year.
It is estimated that the bank has lost close to 200 feet at least within the last twenty years, and as the banks have chipped away quickly with early spring run off; Mayor Rowan along with other authorities are hoping to have the aid of the US Army Corp of Engineers on the ground in Plains by the time this story is printed.
“We are currently working on grants to be able to fund a project that will enable us to put a sheet steel barrier around our lagoons now. If this erosion continues at this rate that option will be off the table as there won’t be enough land to put that in place,” said Rowan.