Oxford Junction and Oxford Mills Fighting Flood Water

By Justin Foss, Reporter

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Jul 28, 2010 at 12:06 AM CDT

Story Updated: Jul 28, 2010 at 12:06 AM CDT

OXFORD JUNCTION, Iowa – Save the Legion. That’s the call in the town of Oxford Junction.

“That place is important to a lot of people, that’s the whole town pretty much,” said Alan Lasack, 18, Lisbon.

Lasack spent Tuesday afternoon on guard, he was filling in for his dad who is a member at the legion. He and others take turns checking on the nine pumps inside, running non-stop.

“We should be good,” said Lasack as he patrols the legion building in a boat. That building is surrounded by a wall of cement. “I hope we don’t get anymore floods that take it over that wall.”

That wall is two feet higher than two years ago. They almost lost the legion in 2008, and they’re not about to lose it now.

“We’re saving it, come hell or high, higher water, we’re saving it,” said Lasack.

One thing they have in their favor, they know when the river will crest, and just how high it will be.

That knowledge comes from the work of the U.S. Geological Survey. The hydrologists use little rafts they float in the rushing water and hold onto with a rope. The raft scans the bottom of streams of rivers and measures the depth and speed of the water.

Jon Nania has been a hydrologist for 15 years, and was out measuring the Wapsipinicon on Tuesday.

“We’ve seen higher floods and more destructive floods, but we never like seeing them over the roads and in peoples homes, ever,” said Nania, 35, Iowa City.

That’s a sight becoming common place here in Iowa. Some wonder if Iowa’s corn belt, will be replaced with a flood belt.

“There’s a lot of corn under water now. Now it’s going to be known for floods, probably,” said Lasack.

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