Missouri River flooding

[mango4]

The Missouri River is starting to reach its capacity in Pierre. Right now, the Oahe Dam is letting out 75,000 cubic feet of water per second, and the Corps of Engineers plan to increase that to 110,00 by the end of June, and that's without any more water. Right now, the forecast for western Montana where the start of the river is is expected to get quite a bit of rain/snow this weekend, which will only force the COE to increase the water output.

Right now, the Oahe Dam emergency spill way is about a foot away from its top, if it goes over that, things will be bad as the it will be an uncontrolled release. Basically any house along the river in Pierre or Fort Pierre is going to see some sort of flooding this weekend if it hasn't already. People are sandbagging around the clock, but I don't know if it will be enough. This isn't a fight that will last two weeks, it is a fight that will last several months.

If anyone wants to see pictures, here is a link

[mitchellrabbit]

Re: Missouri River flooding

And just a couple years ago the concerns were about how low the river was up there.

[Nidaros]

Re: Missouri River flooding

The Missouri River is starting to reach its capacity in Pierre. Right now, the Oahe Dam is letting out 75,000 cubic feet of water per second, and the Corps of Engineers plan to increase that to 110,00 by the end of June, and that's without any more water. Right now, the forecast for western Montana where the start of the river is is expected to get quite a bit of rain/snow this weekend, which will only force the COE to increase the water output.

Right now, the Oahe Dam emergency spill way is about a foot away from its top, if it goes over that, things will be bad as the it will be an uncontrolled release. Basically any house along the river in Pierre or Fort Pierre is going to see some sort of flooding this weekend if it hasn't already. People are sandbagging around the clock, but I don't know if it will be enough. This isn't a fight that will last two weeks, it is a fight that will last several months.

If anyone wants to see pictures, here is a link

Yes you are right about the Big Muddy. Its rain runoff and snow
runoff from Billings Montana via the Yellowstone River which flows into the Missouri in the northwest corner of North Dakota that is creating the problem. The Army Corp of Engineers are trying to control the flow, but they have to release it. Bismarck and Mandan are also filling up sand bags. Yankton is next.

[slosho]

Re: Missouri River flooding

Here is a video of the Stilling basin today (5-26-11 @ about 7pm) from my phone... (yes it records HD)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Dy7B6fY_k

Enjoy,

P.S. Hope you don't mind the commentary much.... Then again I really don't care if you do. Deal with it!

[mango4]

Re: Missouri River flooding

Here is a video of the Stilling basin today (5-26-11 @ about 7pm) from my phone... (yes it records HD)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Dy7B6fY_k

Enjoy,

P.S. Hope you don't mind the commentary much.... Then again I really don't care if you do. Deal with it!

The stilling basin is a sight to see right now. Goodness, that's a lot of water.

We went out there last weekend and the best thing ever imaginable happened -- a teenage girl dropped her phone, bent down to pick it up and a wave washed it away. Couldn't stop laughing

[leeshajo]

Re: Missouri River flooding

This is going to be crazy... all 14 Gavins Point gates are open... in my 39 years I have NEVER seen that. I will go out there this weekend and try to upload video from here as well. But will be Sat or Sun. Am taking my daughter to Omaha tom. For a concert.

[leeshajo]

Re: Missouri River flooding

btw.. if you are camping along the river this weekend... PLEASE make sure you and your loved ones all are wearing life jackets... was talking to one of Yankton's emergency responders and he said even above the dam the currents are going to be insane. They are VERY worried about public safety with everyone getting on the water this weekend.

[mango4]

Re: Missouri River flooding

Just got done sandbagging for 3 1/2 hours, heading to bed soon, going back out there again tomorrow. Still a ton of bagging needs to be done.

Everyone in Yankton, it wouldn't hurt to start bagging right now. You guys are next and like I said earlier, this isn't a couple week fight, this is a summer long fight.

Good luck to everyone that lives along the river. We've got a long fight ahead of us.

[leeshajo]

Re: Missouri River flooding

http://yankton.net/articles/2011/05/...7393229127.txt

river story from yankton

[jacks1]

Re: Missouri River flooding

btw.. if you are camping along the river this weekend... PLEASE make sure you and your loved ones all are wearing life jackets... was talking to one of Yankton's emergency responders and he said even above the dam the currents are going to be insane. They are VERY worried about public safety with everyone getting on the water this weekend.

OR...don't camp along the river. In fact, no one should be allowed to camp along the river period. Common sense needs to prevail.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Missouri River flooding

Yes you are right about the Big Muddy. Its rain runoff and snow
runoff from Billings Montana via the Yellowstone River which flows into the Missouri in the northwest corner of North Dakota that is creating the problem. The Army Corp of Engineers are trying to control the flow, but they have to release it. Bismarck and Mandan are also filling up sand bags. Yankton is next.

It's bad out here right now, so more water is on the way. In May in Billings we have gotten 8.5 inches of rain, most of which has been in the last couple weeks. The average for a year is around 13". All the creeks and rivers around here have flooded taking many homes. My aunt and a cousin live along the river in Fort Pierre and am told they are going to get flooded. It's unfortunate, but at least they have warning so they can get their stuff out. Most of the flooding around here has been flash flooding type stuff. Little to no warning.


The Yellowstone is full full full right now. Last weekend in Glendive an all-time high flow was set at 159,000 cfs. If I recall correctly, the norm for this time of year is around 25,000 cfs. All the fishing access sites are closed from Billings to North Dakota. To boot, all of this current water is from the rain we have gotten. The snow has not really began to melt in the mountains. The mountain snowpack in many areas is well above 100% so the problem is not going away anytime soon.

Pray for the cool weather to stick around out here to slow the snow melt. If we get a few 70-80 degree days things could get very ugly.

[mango4]

Re: Missouri River flooding

OR...don't camp along the river. In fact, no one should be allowed to camp along the river period. Common sense needs to prevail.

Farm Island along the river in Pierre was closed, and I think the Oahe Downstream campgrounds were as well.

National guard was activated yesterday, so that will be some help. I believe Pierre is looking into contractors that will build a temporary levy in Pierre and Fort Pierre that will protect us up to 125,000 cubic feet of water per second being released.

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to get a chance to get some aerial shots of the Missouri River before all things started to break loose. I'll be going up at least twice more before this is all said and done -- once when the release reaches 85,000 CFS and when it reaches 110,000 CFS. It could lead to some interesting before and after photos.

[goon]

Re: Missouri River flooding

And just a couple years ago the concerns were about how low the river was up there.

I thought that too. I don't get out that way very often but it seemed like a few years ago all the talk was about droughts that would last decades. Now there is to much water. probably in a few years it will be severe drought again.

[mango4]

Re: Missouri River flooding

I thought that too. I don't get out that way very often but it seemed like a few years ago all the talk was about droughts that would last decades. Now there is to much water. probably in a few years it will be severe drought again.

Lake Oahe was at the lowest it has ever been in 2007 I believe and the Corps said it would take about 20 years for it to be completely full again. By last year, Lake Oahe was back to its regular amount of water, maybe a little bit higher.

Things can change quickly with mother nature.

[goon]

Re: Missouri River flooding

how are the Black Hills doing? are they gettting much water? It seemed a few years ago there was a concern with how low the lakes were getting. I was out there last summer and they still looked low to me from what i could remember.