MARMARTH (AP) - A dike built to protect this small town from the Little Missouri River is listed among 122 levees around the country that are at risk of failing. Residents here say they are willing to work with the Army Corps of Engineers to fix it, but some common sense is needed.

"When they built the dike, they built it out of gumbo, and it's straight gumbo and nothing will grow on it," said Patti Perry, a member of the city board.

"They want the top of it gaveled, which we have done. We patched the holes last year," she said. "What gives them real trouble is that part of the dike gets used as a road sometimes, and there's no way around it. It's where all the kids and everybody goes to fish."

Paul Johnston, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers, said the dike is about 50 years old. He said the city took it over in 2001, but inspections over the past few years have found problems.

"They're (the Corps) trying to work with us, and we're trying to work with them, and we'll get it worked out," Perry said. "They can't expect the city to fix their building mistake, building it out of gumbo. We're probably going to wrangle around with them."

Residents reported flooding in the 1950s, but Perry said she doubts flooding will be a problem again. The area has gone through a series of dry years.

The Marmarth dike is about 4 miles around and between 20 feet and 30 feet high, residents say. Corps inspectors tried to get a sample out of it a few weeks ago, when the ground was frozen, Perry said. "They didn't get their core sample," she said.

The census puts Marmarth's population at about 140. Perry said she believes that includes some dogs - she says she counted closer to 127 people.

If the Corps of Engineers determines a levee is at risk of failing, homeowners in the area could be required to buy flood insurance unless repairs are made.

In the case of Marmarth residents, Perry said, "I think they probably would agree they can pay that insurance more than they can pay a special assessment to fix the gumbo."