30,000 Tons
Trees, logs, roots and other debris can plug up the water under the Highway 200 East bridge and Montana Rail Link bridge in Clarkfork, Idaho if the
sunshine causes the snow to melt and there is a huge runoff in Lightning Creek. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has already burned about 30,000 tons of wood piles on the exposed gravel next to the creek but the water is rising and time is running out.
The Corp has salvaged about 2,000 tons of trees with roots to use for habitat projects. The railroad bridge has less than 10 feet of clearance underneath it. A slow melt is the best hope for avoiding flooding. The Corp used more than a $250,000 to deal with potential flooding in Clarkfork. Oh yeah, if you’re wondering about the ashes from the fire - - they’ve been hauling it away.
