St. Croix River attracting tourists after reaching major flood stage
ST. CROIX FALLS, Wis. -- Where Minnesota meets Wisconsin at St. Croix Falls, residents of both states took advantage of the nice weather to see how high the river has risen.
"It's just kind of awe-inspiring to come and take a look at it every once in a while. It's just beautiful here," Kel Schladweiler, of Centuria, Wisconsin, said.
The St. Croix River in Stillwater reached major flood stage on Saturday at 89 feet.
"It's a wonderful experience for them because they can see the power of water and right behind my should here is the electric hydro plant for Xcel and that shows them that that's where a lot of electricity comes from when they're back in their house in the city," Mark Kozlak, of Osceola, Wisconsin, said.
RELATED: How to stay safe while hiking along the raging St. Croix River
But that doesn't mean anyone will be out on the water soon.
Downriver, Osceola Landing remains closed, as the park, its roads and shelters remain swamped by the strong river current.
"You don't want to be in this water. You'll die. If you go in the water right now, you will die because there's 60-foot and 80-foot holes in the river that'll suck you right down when it's at this stage," Kozlak said.
There's still beauty to be seen as long as you stay safe.
"You have to be careful but there's lots of places you can go in the park and the area and see it. 'Cause it is really beautiful, but you have to know where you are," Linda Schladweiler said.
Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday afternoon the state's preparation for flooding are holding up and that's helped minimize damages to homes and infrastructure.