Floodwaters at Harriet Island continue to recede ahead of upcoming music festival

Harriet Island drying out after flooding

Water levels continue to drop after record flooding, and St. Paul officials are hoping things dry out quickly at Harriet Island so that a music festival planned on July 19-20 can go on as planned.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - River levels in Minnesota continue to drop following record flooding. Much of Harriet Island in St. Paul was submerged, but officials are hopeful things will dry out quickly enough for an upcoming music festival to proceed.

Just before the Fourth of July, the Mississippi River at St. Paul was overflowing its banks, closing roads, flooding the pavilion, and putting much of Harriet Island underwater.

At its worst, the Mississippi River at St. Paul was three feet above a major flood state. Since cresting less than two weeks ago, the river has dropped eight feet. The water levels are receding, and things are slowly turning back to normal on the island.

The city is hoping the drying trend lasts as crews continue work because in just over a week, thousands of concertgoers are hoping to attend the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club music festival.

The two-day event features a big lineup from Gwen Stefani to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The music festival is scheduled to take place from July 19-20 at Harriet Island Regional Park, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

City officials say crews can begin setting up for the event as soon as the conditions allow, and they are confident the park will be ready to host the Yacht Club Festival as planned.