Rising waters a threat to summer fun in Twin Cities metro

Flooding rivers in the Twin Cities area are expected to reach their crests in the coming days, with little threat of widespread property damage but a dimming forecast for summer fun.

The St. Croix, Minnesota and Mississippi rivers were all still rising on Wednesday. No flooding records are likely to be broken, but high waters did prompt Stillwater to postpone its riverfront Fourth of July fireworks, St. Paul to close some of its parks, and the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee to shutter some of its rollercoasters.

In Stillwater, the rising St. Croix is expected to crest this weekend at the "moderate" flood stage of 88 feet, according to the official forecast. In that scenario, the water will stop short of a temporary dike protecting downtown, and beyond a few isolated cases of flooding shouldn't cause much damage.

Still, riverfront homeowners in the area, like Candace Tollefson, were preparing on Wednesday for a wet weekend. Tollefson said her house in the Waterford neighborhood of nearby Bayport often sees flooding, and was built with the garage on the ground floor to minimize the chances of flooding in the living quarters.

So far this year the St. Croix has crept up to the mouth of her garage, where she's installed snow fencing to keep fish and river debris out. She expects the river to rise two more feet by this weekend, and she's moved everything out of her garage in anticipation.

"It's fun now, once you're ready," she said. The rising river brings wildlife closer to view, and she's enjoyed seeing a large egret fish nearby, she said. A neighbor kayaked across the driveway this week. "It's a trade-off to live with that great view," she said.

Staff at the West Marine boating store at the Stillwater Marina on the north end of downtown were removing items from the lowest shelves as the river crept closer to the front doors. The expected crest is about one inch higher than the store's showroom floor. P.D. Pappy's, a riverfront bar and restaurant that often floods when water is high, is closed until further notice.

Though the temporary dike should protect downtown, city leaders opted to postpone the fireworks show since portions of riverfront Lowell Park are currently underwater.

The city typically launches the fireworks from Kolliner Park, just south of the Historic Lift Bridge on the Wisconsin side of the river, and viewers sit on the Historic Lift Bridge or in Lowell Park. The city said on its website that a new date for the fireworks display hasn't been chosen yet.

The Historic Lift Bridge has been closed to pedestrian and bicycle traffic due to the floods. The state Department of Transportation said crews placed concrete barriers on the non-lift sections of the bridge to act as ballast to prevent possible movement of the structure due to flood waters. The lift span was raised 15 feet to accommodate boat traffic. The bridge will be lowered and reopened once the waters recede, MNDOT said in a statement.

In St. Paul, the Mississippi River reached the "major" flood stage Tuesday night, flooding many low-lying areas, including Harriet and Raspberry islands, and parks like Crosby Farm, Lilydale and Pig's Eye — all closed. Parts of Shepard/Warner Road, Childs Road and Water Street on the West Side are closed because of high water.

The river is expected to crest at a height of 20.8 feet Saturday, a level of flooding that mostly affects public infrastructure, St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw said. For St. Paul, preparing for these water levels is a matter of taking action to protect roads, parks and storm water systems, and mitigating the impact of road closures on residents in neighborhoods like Lowertown. The river last reached a height of 20 feet in 2019 and 2014. If it exceeds that this time, Kershaw said it will be by inches, not feet.

"It's not a situation where homes are at stake," Kershaw said.

Jess Olstad, a spokesperson for the city of Minneapolis, said the city is not experiencing flood-related issues.

In Shakopee, flooding on the Minnesota River prompted Valleyfair officials to close the back portion of the park until further notice. Three rides, Excalibur, Thunder Canyon and Renegade, sit in the flood zone and will be shut down until floodwaters recede. A barricade blocks off the flooded area beyond the Renegade Smokehouse restaurant and Hurricane Falls ride.

In Savage, downstream from Shakopee, the Minnesota River reached the "major" flood stage Wednesday and was expected to crest Saturday.

Footage from Valleyfair officials shows several feet of water surrounding the bases of Excalibur and Renegade — partially wooden rollercoasters.

Valleyfair officials say the rest of the park remains above the river's crest and is not expected to be closed.