The irrigation canal that runs above Polson Health and Rehabilitation overflowed last Friday, spilling water north onto the facility’s parking lot and edging into the back hallway of the building.

The City of Polson Fire Department, along with the Polson Rural Fire District, responded to the report of flooding at around 9:30 a.m. June 19.

According to assistant Polson fire chief Adam Reed, crews deployed a portable pump and about 33 feet of hose to divert the water to a secondary canal while the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project slowed the flow of water through the ditch.

CSKT Disaster and Emergency Services provided immediate access to a trailer containing sandbags, and the crews used about a dozen to contain the flooding and prevent it from entering the building.

While no evacuations were necessary “we started planning just in case,” Reed said. “The Red Cross was on standby to help if needed.”

Reed says the spillover was caused by higher-than-normal water flowing through the canal, which pushed debris into several culvert grates. Those blocked grates in turn created a backflow in the canal that spilled over the bank behind the Polson Boys and Girls Club and onto the parking lot below.

Using pumps, firefighters were able to push the floodwater to a nearby storm drain, while also clearing clogged grates to improve the water flow in the canal.

“Had we not fixed the problem quickly, I'm not confident the three pumps would have kept up, and we would have needed to move the patients,” Reed speculated. He said the facility houses from 50 to 70 rehab patients and nursing home residents.

The fire department kept a pump on site and continued to monitor the situation through the weekend. By Monday, Reed said the water level in the canal had diminished by more than five feet to a trickle.

In addition to the two fire departments, responding agencies included the City of Polson Public Works Department, CSKT Disaster and Emergency Services, and the staff of the Boys and Girls Club and Polson Health and Rehabilitation.

“The City of Polson Fire Department thanks everyone for their help,” Reed said.