Riverfest, campers impacted by high water as Mississippi River rises in La Crosse and Winona (2024)

The Mississippi River has reached 14 feet at La Crosse and is expected to stay there a while.

According to the National Weather Service, the river level will hardly budge from its current level until at least the middle of next week. Recent heavy rains in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin pushed the river past moderate flood stage (13 feet) June 25. The river is expected to crest July 2 at 14.2 feet and still be at 14.1 feet July 4.

The projections take into account a relatively dry weather period that is forecast for next week.

The high water will impact La Crosse’s annual Riverfest celebration set for July 3-6 at Riverside Park. Riverfest treasurer Mike Scheiber said the annual water ski show won’t be performed due to a no-wake restriction.

Schieber said the land-based attractions — music, food, shows and fireworks — appear secure.

“Most of the park is high enough so that if we don’t get to 16 (feet), we should be fine,” Schieber said. “At 10 feet, we have to cut back on our water activities.”

No-wake restrictions are impacting Winona County. The sheriff’s office announced Tuesday that it has issued an emergency 30-day no-wake order. In a Facebook post, the sheriff’s office urged everyone “to stay safe with the high water and potential flooding.”

The weather service predicts the river to crest in Winona July 1 at 16 feet, one foot over moderate flood stage.

La Crosse facilities, waterfront and marina manager Jim Flottmeyer also emphasized no-wake rules. He said boating on the river remains safe if precautions are taken.

“You can operate a boat safely in all this, but you need to go slow,” Flottmeyer said. “We don’t need big waves splashing against homes and businesses.”

All boat launches and city marinas in La Crosse are closed, along with the marsh trails and the north entrance to Pettibone Park. Copeland Park Road is also closed, but Copeland Park itself remains open.

Joe Kotnour was helping to fill sandbags for some of his neighbors Thursday who live along Shore Acres Road in La Crescent, Minnesota.

“This is a critical point right now,” he said about the river level in the neighborhood. “Three to four more inches and a lot more people will have issues.”

Kotnour said several homes already have water in them and his property has a little in the lower-level garage, but no significant damage.

In April 2023, the river reached 15.89 feet in La Crosse, the third-highest crest on record. Kotnour said some of the residents in the neighborhood are becoming resigned to the inundations.

“Last year all of us had water,” he said while filling sandbags. “At some point, people just give up.

Camping

The high water is having a significant impact on camping. Much of La Crosse County’s Goose Island County Park is under water, according to county parks director Ryan Westpfahl. He said all of the day use areas are gated off and none of the five shelters are available.

One boat launch remains open, but Westpfahl said “that could change at any time.”

The biggest challenge is handling the large number of campers who use the park. There are 308 campsites at the park, and Westpfahl said over half are unusable to high water levels.

He said staff at Goose Island is working to find campsites for those who made reservations at a flooded site but said the task is complicated by the upcoming Fouth of July holiday. Campers are being offered sites at Veterans Park in West Salem to the extent they are available.

“We are moving people where we can can and giving refunds when we can’t,” Westpfahl said.

Veterans Park, which is bordered by the La Crosse River, doesn’t have any flooding issues.

Flottmeyer said it’s uncertain when facilities can open again.

“We watch it every day,” he said. “As soon as we feel safe and can get in there to get things cleaned up, we’ll open them back up.”

- La Crosse Tribune Executive Editor Todd Krysiak contributed to this article.