Powder River Lanes Reopens Following Flood

The restaurant at Powder River Lanes is back open after a broken sprinkler system flooded the bowling lanes the third week of December.

Though the broken line occurred during a -10 degree day, Lanes owners Jeff and Jenny Alterman told us the cold temps were not responsible for the break. “Nothing froze;, the fire sprinkler system broke”, Jeff commented when we stopped by the Lanes on Monday.

The broken system sent water cascading onto the approach to the lanes and the area of the scoring machines, flowing down the lanes and pooling a foot of water in the area of the bowling pinsetters.

After the leak was discovered and water was shut off, Newman Restoration, a company specializing in flood and fire cleanup from Billings came in with pumps and fans to clean up and salvage the bowling operation.

The Altermans told us that the scoring machines, the pinsetters, and the flooring in the approaches will need to be replaced, with insurance hopefully covering the brunt of the costs. No major damage was done to the restaurant, so with mitigation and drying efforts mostly complete other than some fans still at work drying the lanes, the restaurant and casino are back up and running and ready for customers as of Monday.

Current timelines for when the bowling lanes may reopen is still unknown, as the surface of the lanes is still being carefully dried, and equipment will need to be replaced along with construction completed on the floors.