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U.S., Canada coordinating on flood control
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July 4, 2012 |
Water managers and dam operators in the United
States and Canada are working together to reduce
the impacts of flooding along the Kootenai
River. On Monday, The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and B.C. Hydro reached an agreement
for the second time in a week to increase lake
level in the Koocanusa Reservoir.
Rainfall in June set records throughout the
region, with some areas receiving 400-percent of
normal rainfall for the month. Bonners Ferry
received 5.24 inches of rain in June,
315-percent of the June average of 1.66 inches.
The previous June record in Bonners Ferry was
set in 1981, when 3.96 inches of rain fell.
Along with above-average snow pack, the water
storage capacity in the Koocanusa Reservoir,
normally 2,459 feet, was increased by one foot
last week, and the two countries agreed to an
additional one-foot increase Monday evening,
which will allow the water level on the lake to
be increased to 2,461 feet if necessary, so as
to reduce flood damage on the Kootenai River and
Kootenay Lake.
As of Tuesday inflow at Libby Dam stood at about
60,000 cfs with outflow ramped up to 48,000 cfs.
As of Monday night, elevation on the Koocanusa
Reservoir was at 2,459.2 feet and rising by
about six inches per day. By raising the maximum
pool limit behind Libby Dam, discharges into the
Kootenai River can be kept lower. It is
estimated that the increase in pool elevation
will keep the river level at Bonners Ferry 0.4
feet lower than would be the case if full
discharge to maintain the 2,459 elevation.
The Kootenai River level is expected to reach
66.63-feet by tonight, which is 2.63 feet above
flood stage. The level is expected to remain
near that level through July 7, when it should
start dropping. It is expected to return to
flood stage, 64-feet, by July 9, and drop to
63-feet by July 11.
Local emergency incident commander Bob Graham
has been going from the wee hours of morning
until late in the evening responding to reports
of trouble, and two Army Corps response teams
are in Boundary County providing assistance.
Early on, about 300 "super sack" sandbags were
used to shore up 500 feet of levy maintained by
the City of Bonners Ferry behind the Kootenai
Rive Inn, with many volunteers turning out to
assist. On Monday, the lower, below-ground level
at General Feed and Grain were flooded by
seepage, and problems with the dikes in the
Copeland area worsened on Tuesday, though, as
yet, no dikes have been breached.
There have been a handful of homes in the county
surrounded by water and a few drives made
impassable by flood waters, and there has been
considerable seepage in farm land along the
Kootenai River. No damage estimates have yet
been made, but in 2006, when similar flooding
occurred, monetary damages neared $1-million,
mostly in lost crops and damage to dikes. |
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