Stillwater prepares for flooding along St. Croix River after snowy winter

City of Stillwater officials say the National Weather Service is predicting a 70% chance the St. Croix River will crest past flood stage this season, and both the community and businesses are preparing for the worst.

STILLWATER, Minn. (FOX 9) - At The Dock in Stillwater, the view of the St Croix River is one of the main attractions.

But this spring, the scenic waterway could come a little too close for comfort.

"We're just kind of forecasting it ourselves and like praying, but also preparing for the worst. It doesn't look good," said Daniel Cornforth, manager at The Dock.

City officials say the National Weather Service is predicting a 70 percent chance the river will crest past flood stage.

They worry all the snow this winter and a slow thaw are increasing the chances of the worst flooding here since 2001.

"The snowpack in the area is really high for this time of year. Also, the water content in the snow is very high for this time of year as well, so that's raised their levels of concern and that's why they're predicting the high water," said Shawn Sanders, Director of Public Works for the city of Stillwater.

City officials held an informational meeting on Monday night to tell residents and business owners about their efforts to fight the flood.

The city will close all riverfront parking lots on Wednesday, install concrete barriers, and use volunteers to fill sandbags to build a temporary levee from one end of town to the other.

"It's not my first rodeo. I've been here for like five major floods and so I think we got it pretty well planned out," said Sanders.

City officials say most downtown businesses will stay open, but the Stillwater lift bridge will also close to pedestrians for a while.

Employees at The Dock hope all those efforts will keep the water at bay and prevent them from having to close as well.

"I have a lot of faith in our community to help with all of this," said Cornforth.