BISMARCK – Gov. Doug Burgum received a commitment from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Thursday to reduce flows from Garrison Dam upstream of an ice jam causing minor flooding on the Missouri River in Bismarck-Mandan.

The major ice jam near Fox Island and the Heart River confluence south of Bismarck caused the Missouri River to rise rapidly Wednesday, flooding low-lying areas along the shoreline.

The Corps said it is prioritizing flood control operations and that it would reduce the daily average flow from 25,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) on Wednesday to 22,000 cfs Thursday and 19,000 cfs on Friday. The hydroelectric dam normally releases less water at night and more water during the day when more electricity is needed to meet demand. Corps officials noted it will take a couple of days for Bismarck-Mandan to see the impacts of reduced releases from the dam.

Shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday, the North Dakota National Guard launched an aerial operation to try to dislodge the ice jam. An additional measure involving applying material to the ice jam to accelerate melting was being evaluated.

“The North Dakota National Guard will utilize a mass water delivery system, the Bambi Bucket, suspended from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to drop 660 gallons of river water on the leading edge of the ice jam,” said Lt. Col. Matthew J. Voeller, director of Domestic Plans and Operations. “The weight of the water is estimated to be around 5,000 lbs. This process will be repeated a number of times in order to eventually free the jam.”

A temporary flight restriction was issued for the area of operation, covering an area about three miles wide by four miles long.

Burgum also signed an executive order declaring an emergency for Burleigh and Morton counties and activating the North Dakota State Emergency Operations Plan.

“We are monitoring this situation closely and taking a whole-of-government approach to protecting lives and property on the Missouri River in Bismarck-Mandan,” Burgum said. “We appreciate the cooperation of our local, state and federal partners as we respond to this rapidly developing situation.”