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Published February 25, 2010, 12:00 AM

Photo gallery: Flood fightin' tools


Dyna Flo Pump

Manufacturer: General Irrigation Inc. of Oakes, N.D.

What it does: The pump can move 3,000 gallons per minute at 15 feet of lift. It is operated with a 1,000 revolutions-per-minute power takeoff on a tractor.

Cost: $8,500 and each length of hose is $850.

Where it’s used: It can empty sloughs, rice and cranberry ponds, transfer water and can be used for flood control.

Contact info: (701) 742-3223, www.generalirrigation.com

  • Dyna Flo Pump<br /><br />Manufacturer: General Irrigation Inc. of Oakes, N.D.<br /><br />What it does: The pump can move 3,000 gallons per minute at 15 feet of lift. It is operated with a 1,000 revolutions-per-minute power takeoff on a tractor.<br /><br />Cost: $8,500 and each length of hose is $850.<br /><br />Where it’s used: It can empty sloughs, rice and cranberry ponds, transfer water and can be used for flood control.<br /><br />Contact info: (701) 742-3223, www.generalirrigation.com
  • TR-30, Off-Road Environmental Series Track Machine <br /><br />Manufacturer: Conveyor Application Systems of Eugene, Ore.<br /><br />What it does: The tracked machine mates a hopper and conveyor belt system. It uses sand to make continuous sandbags up to 150 feet long. It can also lay sand or dirt, or toss it 75 feet to 150 feet. It can lay down a foot of sandbag per second. <br /><br />A set of sandbags 3 feet high and 1,000 feet long can be laid down in 5.2 hours.<br /><br />Cost: $428,000. A smaller model costs $219,999.<br /><br />Where it’s used: It has been used for environmental restoration projects, but not yet in a flood control situation.<br /><br />Contact info: www.slingers.com, (541) 335-8040, (888) 279-4227
  • AquaFence<br /><br />Manufacturer: AquaFence AS, Tonsberg, Norway. It is sold by Tysvar, of St. Paul.<br /><br />What it does: The barrier is built of plywood boards supported by aluminum bars. The panels are connected by PVC plastic material. They must be anchored in place. About 1,500 lineal feet of flood barrier can be erected in 1½ hours by 25 people.<br /><br />Cost: An 800-foot length of 4 feet high by 7 feet wide panels costs $200 per linear foot, or $160,000.<br /><br />Where it’s used: In the U.S. and Europe. It will be installed this spring in Round Hill south of Fargo.<br /><br />Contact info: tysvar.com, (651) 428-1397.
  • Tiger Dam System<br /><br />Manufacturer: U.S. Flood Control Corp. It has offices in Calgary, Alberta, Nevada and Louisiana.<br /><br />The bags are assembled in New Orleans.<br /><br />What it does: It is a 50-foot stretch of water-filled or cement-filled PVC bag that can be filled in five to 10 minutes. The tubes are kept together with straps and pegged into place with aluminum anchors.<br /><br />The bags are reusable and weigh 60 pounds when empty, but weigh 3 tons when filled with water. They can be piled up to 32 feet high.<br /><br />Where it’s used: U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan.<br /><br />Cost: $1,250 for a 50-feet stretch that is 19 inches in diameter. <br /><br />Contact info: (866)-852-1118, info@usfloodcontrol.com, www.usfloodcontrol.com
  • PS Doors aluminum flood planks and doors<br /><br />Manufacturer: PS Doors of Grand Forks.<br /><br />What it does: The doors and aluminum flood planks are permanently mounted where needed for flood protection, such as at lift stations, water treatment plants, electrical and communications facilities, underground parking garages and other facilities.<br /><br />The firm also makes a self-rising flood wall.<br /><br />Cost: $180 per square foot, depending on the project.<br /><br />Where it’s used: Throughout the U.S., Caribbean and United Kingdom.<br /><br />Contact info: (701)742-3223, (800)-284-0623. www.psdoors.com
  • EKO Flood System<br /><br />Distributed by: EKO Flood USA, based in Jackson, Wyo. It is made in the Czech Republic.<br /><br />What it does: The system consists of aluminum plank flood walls and gaskets creating a watertight seal to hold back floodwaters.<br /><br />The walls require permanent foundations. When floods are expected, posts are installed and then the aluminum planks.<br /><br />Cost: The firm proposes that it can protect the Fargo-Moorhead for $600 million to $800 million.<br /><br />Where used: Throughout Europe. In Prague, Czech Republic, 3.6 miles of flood wall was installed in 11 hours. The flood wall was up to 16 feet high in some places.<br /><br />Contact info: www.ekofloodusa.com, (307)-739-2538
  • Joe Rents and Contractors Supply<br /><br />What they do: The Fargo firm rents a variety of pumps from 2 inches to 12 inches, and sandbag fillers.<br /><br />It also sells a variety of flood supplies, including plastic film, rubber boots, sandbags, shovels and safety vests.<br /><br />Contact info: 2811 Fiechtner Drive, Fargo, ND 58103. (701) 478-6696. www.joerents.<br /><br />net
  • Sandbagging Buddy<br /><br />Manufacturer: DCR Inc., West Fargo<br /><br />What it does: Steel frame helps fill sandbags. <br /><br />Cost: A single-station sandbag maker costs $109, and a double-station sandbag maker costs $159.<br /><br />Where it has been used: The steel sandbag maker was introduced last year during the flood fight.<br /><br />Contact info: (701) 282-6156, www.sandbaggingbuddy.com
  • Big Bags<br /><br />Manufacturer: Disaster Relief Innovative Protection System LLC, St. Louis<br /><br />What they do: The bags are 3 feet high, with five bags in a section 15 feet wide. They are essentially massive sandbags, filled either by a front-end loader or a cement truck.<br /><br />The 2,800-pound filled bags can be removed by a forklift.<br /><br />Cost: 1,000 feet requires 67 units at $280 each – $18,760.<br /><br />Where they are used: U.S., Europe and Asia. <br /><br />Contact info: (573) 480-6699, (314) 458-4708. www.bigbagusa.com
  • HESCO units<br /><br />Manufacturer: HESCO Bastion USA in Hammond, La. Distributed by Brock White Construction Materials, Fargo, <br /><br />What they do: The sand-filled polypropylene and metal frames are filled with sand to form a barrier to water.<br /><br />In one night, National Guard troops installed three miles of the 4-foot high interconnected barriers in Fargo in spring 2009.<br /><br />Where they’re used: They’ve been used by the U.S. military for 15 years and for civil projects for 6½ years throughout the world.<br /><br />Cost: $20 to $35 per lineal foot, not including the cost of sand or installation.<br /><br />Contact info: (985)-345-7332, (504) 450-5660, www.hescousa.com and (701) 282-9255, www.brockwhite.com
  • ExpressBagger sandbag filling device<br /><br />Manufacturer: D2 LLC of Fargo.<br /><br />What it does: The plastic device fills about three bags a minute, with one person shoveling sand and two holding and pulling sandbags.<br /><br />Cost: $86.<br /><br />Where used: First used at the Fargodome during the 2009 flood.<br /><br />Contact info: (701)-238-6181, sales@expressbagger.com.
  • Muscle Wall Flood Barricades<br /><br />Manufacturer: Muscle Wall LLC of Logan, Utah.<br /><br />What they do: They are 4-foot by 6-foot polypropylene low-density wall panels. The 110-pound panels weigh 1,600 pounds when filled with water.<br /><br />Two people can place and fill one of the barricades in five minutes.<br /><br />Where they’re used: They’ve been sold in the West and Pacific Northwest.<br /><br />Cost: A full trailer of 72 Muscle Wall barricades with pump, straps, plastic and anchor chain is $52,725.<br /><br />Contact info: (435) 764-7604, (801)-628-8509 or www.MuscleWall.com.
  • Dino Bags<br /><br />Sold by: JB Ag Resources, Inc., Fargo.<br /><br />What they are: Large sand and construction bags that can be filled by a skid-steer loader.<br /><br />Cost: 70 bags with sand $1,143<br /><br />Contact info: (701)-261-0289, (701) 293-3281 or e-mail jbagresources@cableone.net