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southern MN | Peoplesaw the good farmland in that area, back around the turn of the century, and wanted to use it. There was a real bad flood back around then, and the govt came up with a plan to build a short expendable levee and allow the spillway to be be used for flood relief if that need should arize. But blocking off the spillway with the tad short and blastable levee allows use of all that rich farm land until then.....
Back then 80 or 90 years ago, the landowners were signed up to that reality - they bought the land for cheap, and it carried that cloud over it - if things get tough, the levee will be blown. Don't build there, but you can farm it.
That was the agreement.
So now 80 years later, a lot of folk snuck in a building or 10.........
I don't think the whole deal was done well, but I'm far away. I don't think they are looking to help farmers and others any more - the govt is more about itself and being green these days, not about helping citizens.
But - fair is fair, the original deal was you get this land, you get it cheap, and it could be flooded out.
This was all covered in spring here as we discussed this, I don't think you were here at the time.
The spillway was there toprotct what looked to be a growing town - which it turns out didn't grow. But those allowed to work in the spillway were told what could happen, and were compensated at that time in a payment or writeoff so as to make what happened a known and compensated for possibility.
Now, 80 ywars later, we can certainly argue about the details and how things came to be. :)
But I don't think you quite got the beginning facts right?
--->Paul | |
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Breach at Birds Point New Madrid Floodway
