NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY - FARGO, N D


MASS WASTING IN THE
FARGO-MOORHEAD REGION:

CASE STUDY #1: THE
CRESTWOOD SUBDIVISION,
SOUTH MOORHEAD

The Crestwood Subdivision near Moorhead, Minnesota, is located across the Red River of the North from Fargo. Much of the subdivision is located on the outside of a broad meander of the river.

In recent years, several properties have experienced land instability and slope failure. Site examination shows that the problems are associated with:

  • Siting of house construction on the outside of a river meander
  • Slope retreat associated with bank erosion
  • Saturation of weak clays, due to high precipItation and saturation from drain fields
  • Overloading of a slope by emplacement of housing
In 1998, three of the endangered houses were purchased and relocated --- mostly at taxpayers' expense. The following photos document the history of one of these houses (white house indicated by arrow).

Crestwood Subdivision, south edge of Moorhead, MN, in Summer, 1998. Note position on outside of broad meander of the Red River. View is toward the west. Arrow points to property (white house) shown in photos below.

(Click on photo for enlargement)




IDENTICAL VIEWS THROUGH TIME: FACING SOUTH
FROM BACKYARD OF THE WHITE HOUSE

(Click on photos for enlargement)

Summer 1995 Winter 1997 Summer 1998



RELOCATION OF THE WHITE HOUSE

(Click on photos for enlargment)

Moving the white house from
the endangered region at Crestwood
in 1998
Repositioning of the white house
at a new site, far from the river,
in 1999


Case examples, such as this one at Crestwood, are all too common in the Fargo-Moorhead region. Proper planning can help avoid such costly events. The basic rule, whether it be to avoid river flooding or slope instability, is to avoid all development adjacent to slopes of any type in the Red River Valley.



[ Return to "Slope Instability and Mass Wasting in Fargo, ND" ]

[ Return to "Geology of Fargo-Moorhead Region" ]



This web site represents the views of the authors and not necessarily those of North Dakota State University. NDSU is not responsible or liable for its contents. Copyright © Department of Geosciences, North Dakota State University.