This is a rare scene in the spring for the Mankato area. Usually, you cannot see any rocks in the river until well into June due to spring flooding. This year, however, perhaps due to global warming, there was little snow to melt and raise the river to a higher level. The valley itself was carved out during the last glacial period in the area, causing a deep gouged out valley compared to the plains area to the south, east, and west of Mankato.