The St. Croix River is still below flood stage in Stillwater, but city officials aren’t taking any chances.

Volunteer sandbaggers will begin mobilizing Thursday in downtown Stillwater. The first crew will start at 11 a.m. Thursday. Subsequent crews — 25 per shift — will be working three-hour shifts 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Monday and Tuesday; Saturday hours are to be determined.

The St. Croix River, which was 9 feet below flood stage at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, is expected to crest sometime between March 31 and April 2.

“I think we still have reason for concern,” said Doug Berglund, Washington County’s emergency management director. “There is a lot of water on the ground right now both in the snowpack and waiting in ditches and ponds and streams. I’m concerned about how fast that snowpack melts — the snow that is in there has a lot of water in it.”

HUNDREDS HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP

Anyone who wants to sign up to volunteer to fill and place sandbags must register online through Community Thread in Stillwater; no walk-ups will be accepted.

Registration opened at 9 a.m. Tuesday, and 275 volunteers filled the shifts for the first four days within hours, said Jennifer Kmecik, volunteer center director for Community Thread.

“I’m not surprised,” she said. “I was expecting things to fill fast. The (St. Croix River) Valley is known for volunteerism and helping the community.”

More volunteers are expected to be needed in upcoming weeks.

BUSINESSES, CIVIC GROUPS HELPING OUT

Local businesses and service organizations are stepping up to help feed the volunteers, said Stillwater City Clerk Beth Wolf.

The Scandia-Marine Lions Club, in conjunction with Stillwater Lions, Afton, Bayport and Lakeland Lions, will have their Wiener Wagon on site providing food for volunteers; Cub Foods and Kowalski’s are donating items.

“I’m still working with others,” Wolf said Tuesday. “It’s amazing the generosity and support we have in the city.”

WHO CAN VOLUNTEER AND HOW

Volunteers must be 14 or older; volunteers ages 14 to 17 must provide parental consent and be supervised by an adult.

Groups interested in volunteering should contact Kmecik at 651-439-7434 or Jennifer@CommunityThreadMN.org; slots will be allotted to groups on a first-come, first-served basis depending on shift availability.

Volunteers must register here: communitythreadmn.org