Emergency management officials are continuing to pump water out of a creek near the Wolf River in downtown Keshena.
State Highway 47-55 and County Road VV in downtown Keshena were reopened to traffic early Friday afternoon, a day after pumping began.
“The water levels are maintaining, and we are still continuing to pump,” said Ben Warrington, emergency management coordinator for the Menominee Indian tribe.
Warrington said the snowfall Tuesday hindered workers’ efforts.
“It has slightly affected the water levels,” he said.
Warrington reported water levels in the Wolf River had receded a foot on Friday, but there has not been any substantial progress since then.
Water removal services are being provided by by Brownsville-based Mi-Con, a firm that usually helps construction and industrial clients with solutions to issues involving lowering and treating groundwater.
Mi-Con pumps are capable of handling 18,000 gallons of water per minute, Warrington said.
The National Weather Service indicated there could be runoff from the snow Tuesday that could form additional ice on lakes and rivers through next Tuesday.
Reports of flooding in the area began Thanksgiving week and continued despite efforts by several agencies to address the problem, which was blamed on ice jams created by frazil ice, until the pumps were in place last week.
Frazil ice has the consistency of a snow cone and has prevented the Wolf River from flowing properly.
County Road VV was closed on Dec. 14 and Highway 47-55 on Dec. 16, a day after the Menominee Indian tribe and Menominee County issued an emergency disaster declaration due to flooding from the Wolf River.
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