Mississippi River Levels Are Down And St. Cloud Is Paying Attention

Water levels on the Mississippi River going through St. Cloud are lower than normal this summer.  St. Cloud Public Services Director Luke Langner joined me on WJON to discuss.  He says the Minnesota DNR a few weeks ago issued a drought warning response phase for the State.  The drought is occurring in the northern portion of the Mississippi watershed near Bemidji.  Langner says this impacts St. Cloud residents because our drinking water comes from the Mississippi River.  He says if this worsens we could see a directive to conserve water usage in St. Cloud.

No Water Restrictions

Langner indicates there are no current water restrictions in St. Cloud but he encourages water conservation, when possible.  He says the best times to water your lawns are early mornings and late evenings.  Langner says they would like to see irrigation not running during the time period that the big businesses are operating in the city.

Hydro

St. Cloud Hydro have been working on their comprehensive assessment.  He says energy production is down 15% compared to the average levels this time of year.  Langner says there are currently no major concerns.  He indicates they are operating at just over 3,000 cubic feet per second.

cwbaker

Pantown Road Project

The Pantown Phase 5 road project continues on the north side of St. Cloud.  Langner explains there are multiple construction crews putting in utilities.  He says the project is on track to be completed this fall.  The 10 miles of resurfacing projects throughout the city are wrapping up within the next couple of weeks.  Langner says the last steps include storm drain work and striping.

Lead Service Line

The lead service line project is taking place in the Lake George neighborhood.  Langner says they are replacing approximately 3 lines per day.  He expects this to wrap up this fall.

Photo - Jay Caldwell

22nd Street South

The complete reconstruct of 22nd Street South between Cooper Avenue and Oak Grove Road has been delayed to start until the spring of 2027.  Langner says the delay is due to a 24-inch water main pipe not available until this fall.  He says the bids came in "very favorable" and expects the project to begin in as early as possible in the spring.  Langner says the city met with residents along 22nd Street South and expressed patience in regards to the delay of the project.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Luke Langner, click below.