Ice jam poses problems for city, school
DRUMMOND – An ice jam at the bridge that passes under Edward’s Street in Drummond has caused the city to block off the street.
The water, which flows down from springs in Edward’s Gulch, has been flowing and freezing as the weather has alternated the past few weeks. It eventually clogged the culvert that allows it to pass under Edward’s Street and through Drummond on its way to the Clark Fork. After clogging, the creek flowed over the road and created a large sheet of ice that the city has deemed too dangerous for drivers to cross.
“It really was a perfect Storm,” said Gail Leeper, Mayor of Drummond.
Leeper did not expect the situation to be cleared by Monday, considering the frigid temperatures expected over the weekend. Parents and students attending Drummond should plan to arrive at school via 1st Street until its cleared.
Leeper called Granite County Commissioner Bill Slaughter to see if the county could lend assistance. Slaughter looked over the situation and said the county would do what it could.
But Slaughter also voiced concerns over what is projected as changing weather patterns on the horizon. He cited several homes that lie just south of the bridge and that could be in danger of flooding if the weather warms too quickly. Like the rest of Granite County, Edward’s Gulch has a large snow pack that it has accumulated over the winter. Releasing that water quickly due to melt could cause a number of issues for roads and homeowners alike.
At present the 10-day forecast for Drummond has temperatures gradually rising over the next few weeks to a high of 36 degrees by March 15.
