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Prepare for when the river rises

by Mark Dykes

It’s Mother Nature in action this time of year. The snows are dwindling and melting, and the water is flowing into the rivers.

Hot Springs County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Gordon said as of Feb. 27 the snow water in the Wind Rivers is 200 percent of normal. He further explained the climate prediction center with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has stated through March we have an equal chance of having above or below normal temperatures and precipitation.

“In other words,” Gordon said, “they’re not forecasting colder or warmer, or wetter or drier, than the normal March.” The 200 percent snow water will change drastically day-to-day, he noted, and if we don’t have any further significant snowfall it will return to normal fairly quickly.

Gordon said currently the east side of the Wind Rivers is showing 25-27 inches of water in the snow pack. “That all by itself is a good thing,” Gordon said. When it becomes bad is when it decides to melt. If it does it fast, he cautioned, it can cause some bad situations, and he wants to make sure property owners — especially those along the river — have a heads up that they could see higher releases then what’s been seen in recent years from Boysen.

It will not flood Thermopolis, he pointed out, but it could flood some fields and tear up equipment in or near the river. People should look at where their property is situated with regard to the river and take steps to prepare if they think they’re vulnerable.

The flow reduction for the Lucerne water district was completed March 1, Gordon said, so some repairs could be made on their diversion dam. The flow was taken from about 920 cubic feet per second (cfs) down to 700, but has since been returned to the original rate. Gordon noted he’s also heard the last prediction for a flushing flow is March 13. During the flushing flow, the rate will gradually increase to 5,000 cubic cfs and stay there for about 10 hours.

“That’s a great opportunity,” Gordon said, “for people who live along the river or recreate on the river to have a look at what 5,000 cfs is, and then imagine the potential for twice as much coming. The potential exists this spring for releases from Boysen to be higher than we’ve seen in recent years.”

In 2016, the rate was just above 6,000 cfs; in 2015, it was about 8,000; and from 2009-2011 it was about 6,500 to 7,500 each year. In drier years, rates are about 3,500, because irrigation water must still be provided downstream. This year there is the potential to go well over 8,000 cfs. While the river can hold 10,000 cfs without any real danger to structures, as that approaches 12,000 there might be parts of Thermopolis and East Thermopolis that see some water, though it won’t be too deep or widespread.

Gordon want those people who know their property is vulnerable to rises in the river, that this year there is a very good chance we’ll see more water than normal. He pointed out this is dependent on any further snowfall and how quickly it warms.

Gordon added we have the tremendous benefit of having a dam above the river here, and he expects those in Fremont County will see some flooding of the Big Wind River and the Little Wind.

 

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