4e Winery Sees Overland Flooding Near Mapleton

The water is flowing from the Wheatland Channel that acts as a drainage area

MAPLETON, N.D. — Right now, some say the flooding you’ll see from the Red River in Fargo doesn’t compare to what you’ll see in rural areas.

“Just drive 20 miles west and this is what you see. It’s very different perspective and very different view,” said Lisa Cook, owner of 4e Winery.

Cook and her husband Greg bought the property at 3766 156th Avenue Southeast in 2012 and turned opened it as their 4e Winery in the summer of 2015. The area sees some of the drainage from the Wheatland Channel every year in addition to a little thaw from the snow. But Lisa says this year has been unlike anything the couple has seen.

“We’re hoping this water will flow into the Maple and just keep going. The only concern will be if there’s ice jams along the Maple and it backs up and the water can’t flow in. We’re about three miles from the Maple River so it’s uncertainty I think that’s causing a little bit of anxiety but we’re not so worried,” Cook said.

She says she and her husband aren’t worried about water getting up to the winery because it didn’t affect the house or the barn on the property during flooding in 2009. But it doesn’t mean Lisa won’t continue to monitor the thousands of gallons of water flowing through the surrounding area, especially when a fourth of the grapes she and her husband grow are on the vineyard.

“That’s the vineyard that potentially could get flooded if the water comes up much further than what it is now. It shouldn’t hurt the vines but again we just have to keep an eye on it,” Cook said.

Of the 12 acres of land the couple owns, most of the water is collecting onto a prairie.

“A couple years ago we had Cass County Soil Conservation come out and plant a pocket prairie so that has been reseeded with all prairie grasses and wildflowers. It’s not land that we farm. So it’s not going to really do much damage. In fact, it will probably benefit from all the moisture when the water subsides, Cook said.

Whether they experience bad flooding this year or not, Lisa says she’s learned Cass County is right in staying prepared for whatever could come tomorrow.

“They have to prepare. You can’t predict a flood. We’ve actually went out and did some sandbagging last week with Cass County just because we figured we need to do our part in case heaven forbid, we might need it,” Cook said.

The Cooks get most of their grapes from vineyards within 150 miles of their winery.

They say none of those areas have had any flooding so far this year.