Efforts are underway south of the Canada-United States border to fight flooding in the Red River Valley.

The 2019 flood fight ramped up in Fargo, N.D., Tuesday morning as volunteers started making one million sandbags to protect flood prone areas.

So far this spring, dry weather and favourable temperatures across the Red River basin have contributed to a slow and gentle melt but officials aren’t letting down their guard.

“While we have made tremendous strides in our permanent flood protection efforts, this is a very serious flood forecast and we will meet it with a serious response,” said Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney last week in a media release. “It is critically important for everyone to know that we will need the public’s assistance; we cannot be complacent.”

U.S. flood forecasters have said there is a high risk of major flooding on the Red River south of the border.

The City of Fargo is preparing for a flood nearly as bad as 2009 when some six million sandbags were needed to protect the community.

A decade ago the Red River in that city reached a record 40.8 feet (12.4 metres).

Fargo’s mayor has directed city staff to prepare for the National Weather Service’s current forecast which says there’s a 10 per cent chance the Red River will crest at 40.3 feet (12.3 metres).

The Hydrologic Forecast Centre of Manitoba Infrastructure said with normal or average weather conditions a flood with a magnitude higher than 2009 is predicted along the Red River.

With unfavourable weather conditions, water levels will be higher than 2009 levels by almost one foot at Emerson and by 1.5 feet at Ste. Agathe and reach 22 feet (6.7 metres) at James Avenue in the City of Winnipeg.

On April 16, 2009, the river crested in Winnipeg at 22.5 feet (6.9 metres), which was two feet (0.6 metres) lower than during the flood of 1997.

The province says community ring dikes and the majority of individual flood protection works are at 1997 levels plus two feet.