Flooding May Close Ft. Snelling State Park

ST. PAUL, Minn. - As the Minnesota River and Mississippi Rivers continue to rise rapidly, low-lying areas in Ft. Snelling State Park have become flooded and are closed.

Flooded and closed areas include Pike Island, Picnic Island and the Sibley Trail. The Minnesota and Mississippi rivers surround the park.

There is potential for the main park road to be underwater by the weekend, according to the Minnesota DNR. If that occurs, the entire park will be closed to the public until further notice.

Concrete flood barriers went up Thursday on Harriet Island in St. Paul in preparation for flooding along the Mississippi River near downtown St. Paul. The barriers will re-direct water and debris away from buildings at the park.

The river was over 11 feet Thursday, and the National Weather Service predicts it will reach the 14-foot flood stage on Friday, 17 feet on Sunday and 19.8 feet on Wednesday.

If it hits 19.8 feet, it will be the seventh highest river level on record in St. Paul, beating the 1993 mark of 19.15 feet.

The Harriet Island waterline is at 17.5 feet. The park will be closed when the river hits 17 feet.