DUBUQUE — Local businesses in Dubuque that rely on the Mississippi River are pleased that there appears to be a reduced chance of flooding this year.
Flooding last spring caused some owners to halt business during tourism season until late May.
The National Weather Service showed river levels in the city at 10.23 feet Monday, which is well below the flood stage of 17 feet. The forecasts cite low snowfall levels and a lack of spring rainfall in Minnesota and Wisconsin for factors in keeping flood risks low.
Don Vogt, the Dubuque public works director, says it’s uncommon for the chance of flooding to be this low, especially since the city has seen a significant amount of flooding in recent years.
“Over the last 20 years, we have had a lot of flooding,” he said. “Some years, it seems like the floodwall is closed for half the summer. The way things are playing out this year, I don’t anticipate having to close Ice Harbor or any sections of the floodwall.”
Nancy and Walt Webster, owners of Dubuque River Rides, say their two ships had to remain locked into the city’s Ice Harbor until May 28.
“We had to cancel a lot of cruises and disappoint a lot of people,” recalled Nancy Webster. “That ends up being very expensive, and it puts you in a bind financially.”
Jon Roth, the owner of SWAT River Tours, says he was forced to wait before providing the first tour of his newly-launched business last year because of flood levels. This year he plans to give his first tour of the season Saturday, about six weeks earlier than he did in 2014.
“I took the boat out for a test run (Monday), and things looked pretty good,” he said. “There was a little debris from the recent rains we had, but we are starting off a lot better than last year.”