Bill Lavin, City Manager for Granite Falls, Minnesota announced the city has been awarded a $2 million grant by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to beef up the levees along the Minnesota River which runs through the community.  This funding is in addition to about $12 million of earlier funding for the acquisition and demolition of buildings in harm's way, and the relocation of 35 families and 21 commercial businesses. The city of Granite Falls has experienced two major floods within the last 11 years.  The first flood occurred in1997 and the next in 2001, requiring 800,000 and 620,000 sandbags respectively.

Since then, a Flood Protection Project implemented by the city has resulted in the construction of a floodwall along the heart of the city's downtown business district and the demolition of a number of vulnerable buildings.  Additional buildings are slated for removal which will create a beautiful river-front view from the main thoroughfare.

In light of the current flooding along the Mississippi River in the states south of Minnesota, Granite Falls may be considered one of the premiere flood control case studies in the country.