State officials are concerned about the cleanup progress at the main Dakota Access Pipeline protest camp.

They say there's not enough progress being made to remove the waste before the area is flooded. They say camp conditions are already deteriorating due to spring melting and runoff, and the wet conditions combined with human waste and trash are creating a potential public health and environmental disaster.

Maj. French Pope of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Headquarters Operations Center is visiting the camp Tuesday to assess the situation and determine what resources are needed to complete the cleanup before major flooding occurs.

“With near-record high temperatures expected later this week and significant meltwater flooding already occurring, the situation grows increasingly unsafe by the day,” Gov. Doug Burgum said. “Immediate action is needed to protect human life and prevent any further pollution of the Missouri and Cannonball rivers. Today’s assessment by the Army Corps of Engineers is crucial to accelerating the cleanup process so this land can be properly cleared of garbage, structures, vehicles and human waste before it washes into the rivers. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”

The National Weather Service reports that watersheds including the Knife, Heart, and Cannonball rivers should be on the watch for rising water levels and an increased risk of ice-related high water near the end of the week.

“As long as we have frozen ground and melting snow, the water is going to continue to rise in the camps,” said Dave Glatt, Environmental Health Section chief for the state Department of Health. “They will have to double their efforts to remove the waste in a timely manner. Any protestors at the camp who refuse to move or intend to engage in criminal activity are only exacerbating a very delicate, dangerous situation for those who depend on the land and water.”

The U.S. Geological Survey and Army Corps of Engineers are installing a rapid deployment gauge on the Cannonball River Bridge to provide water level data in the vicinity of Highway 1806 and the Cannonball River. The gauge will monitor snowmelt runoff, changes in water levels on the Cannonball River and the potential for ice jams.

“That area, by nature, is prone to flooding. The Cannonball River and the Cantepeta Creek, along with the Missouri River, all come together in the area of the protest camp, which is sitting down in the floodplain,” said State Engineer Garland Eberle with the State Water Commission. “We’ve historically seen ice jamming which causes a backup of flood water. If you’re really trying to protect the river, it is imperative we get that stuff cleaned up before we see a flood.”