Crisafulli Case
History - Vertical Pumps Used to Solve Flooding in the Red River Valley of the North
NORTHWESTERN POWER
EQUIPMENT CO. INC.
P.O. BOX 131180 2718 PATTON ROAD ROSEVILLE, MN 55113 - USA Phone:
651/628-0683 Fax: 651/628-0753
Project Name: Flood Control
Project Location: Red River Valley of the North
Date: 1997-1998
Historical Background:
Lake Agassiz was formed during the last glacial period when the glaciers
melted and receded to the north. It covered thousands of square miles in
northern Minnesota and North Dakota. Much of the glacial melt water went
south, scoured out the Minnesota River Valley and assisted in the
formation of the upper Mississippi River. As the glacier finally melted,
the rest of the water (which had formed Lake Agassiz), drained and became
the "Red River Valley of the North", which flows between
Minnesota and the Dakotas, through Winnipeg and Manitoba Province,
eventually into Hudson Bay, Canada.
During the winter of 1996-1997 there were seven or eight major blizzards
and heavy snowfall in this watershed area. The Canadian portion of this
watershed was still frozen when the spring thaw hit in 1997. Most of the
dikes along the Red River were not built high enough to accommodate this
much water. All of the predictions from the Corps of Engineers and expert
hydrologists were below what actually occurred. The flood waters rose to
record levels and stayed for up to six weeks in some areas.
Planning
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with several consulting
engineering firms, has been busy in the last year designing and building
higher levees and/or bypasses for some of the communities along the river.
Many neighborhoods have been razed in order to make room for higher and
wider levees. A billion dollar ditch that bypasses Winnipeg was
instrumental in saving most of this city. However, the Corps of Engineers
has determined that this type of construction is not cost-effective for
many of the communities along the Red River in the USA. Most communities,
therefore, are enhancing their dike and stormwater systems by installing
more permanent pumping and control structures.
A typical flood control structure includes a manhole with a
divider, a sluice gate, and a pump on the storm water side pumping over
the wall to the river side. Therefore, during the spring when the river is
at flood stage, the flood gates are closed to isolate the river from storm
sewer and the automatic pump station handles any snow melt or rainfall.
Most of these communities are familiar with the tractor-driven Crisafulli
pumps so it was natural for the engineer on the Breckenridge, Minnesota
project to utilize this
design in a permanent installation. He actually prepared and took two
separate specifications: one for a vertical propeller pump, and one for
the Crisafulli design. Even though the Crisafulli pump required more
horsepower, it was a better application for this project because it did
not require screening.
Another feature of the Crisafulli pump is its low profile. Even with the right angle gear drive option,
it was three or four feet shorter than the propeller pump with a
combination right angle gear drive. The aesthetics of this lower profile
are significant when the pump is located on top of a 25 foot high dike. It
also lends itself to any future fiberglass enclosure that could be
installed in the future for vandalism protection.
SRS Crisafulli Pump Installations
Breckenridge, MN
Contractor: Park Construction
Engineer: Bonestroo Rosene Anderlik & Assoc.
Crisafulli Vertical Pump for
municipal stormwater application
Bottom end (impeller) of stainless steel Crisafulli Vertical
Submersible Pump
After 40 years, customers still say "Crisafulli is
the best." Crisafulli Pumps, Dredges, and Power Units are customizable - Choose
special materials of construction, power source, bearings and
suction.
Each
Crisafulli Pump has a Crisafulli Impeller Inside - your assurance
of quality, performance, reliability and long useful life.
Contact
us today at the factory or through one of our dealers or reps to order
your Crisafulli Pump, Dredge, and Power Unit or to discuss your special applications to
enable us to custom design your Crisafulli equipment.
The wide range of performance and application capabilities of the rugged,
reliable Crisafulli Pump, Dredge, and Power Unit product line, each model
of which can be customized to our customer's special requirements,
provides our customers with what we call "The Crisafulli
Advantage."
