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Army Corps says Des Moines levee remains stable despite seepage
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Army Corps of Engineers says a levee protecting a Des Moines, Iowa, neighborhood remains stable despite a leak it's characterizing as “seepage.”
No evacuations have been ordered in Birdland, a working-class neighborhood that was flooded two years ago when the same part of the levee gave way.
Officials spotted a crack yesterday in the levee, which initially appeared to be crumbling. A corps spokesman says it looks to have stabilized, though crews inspecting the levee this morning did not walk over the section to avoid creating more damage.
Forecasters have been watching for the Des Moines River to crest nearly 4 feet above flood stage. That would be about five feet lower than two years ago.
The water seeping through the levee is flowing into a lagoon. The Corps say as the lagoon rises it will increase pressure on the barrier and slow the release of water through the crack.
City officials note that if the levee protecting Birdland does fail, there's a secondary berm behind it.
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