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Wisconsin River Report January 11, 2007

Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company 2301 North Third Street Wausau, WI  54403 For more information contact Sam Morgan Phone: 715.848.2976, ex 301 Email: morgan@wvic.com

 

Winter Rains Push River Flows to Highest Levels Since Spring

 

Close to two inches of rain in the central Wisconsin River basin just before Christmas and another three quarters of an inch of rain in early January created significant runoff, raising river flows to their highest levels since last spring according to Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (WVIC) of Wausau. The runoff from the unusual rains also raised water levels in the southernmost two of WVIC’s large reservoirs. Farther north, upstream from Tomahawk, the precipitation fell primarily as snow and did not generate any runoff.

The flow of the Wisconsin River at Rothschild rose to over 5,000 cubic feet per second in early January, more than twice the seasonal normal and the highest flow since May 2006. At Wisconsin Rapids the flow rose to almost 7,000 cfs, also more than twice the seasonal normal and the highest flow since early May 2006. At Muscoda on the lower Wisconsin River, the flow rose to almost 10,000 cfs in early January, about 50% above the seasonal normal and the highest flow since early June 2006.

The rains also produced enough runoff to raise the water level in WVIC’s Spirit Reservoir near Tomahawk by one foot to 4.5 feet below maximum and increase the water level in WVIC’s Eau Pleine Reservoir near Mosinee by almost three feet to 4.7 feet below maximum. Current water levels in WVIC’s other large reservoirs range from 3.8 feet below maximum at Rainbow Reservoir near Lake Tomahawk to 5.6 feet below maximum at Rice reservoir near Tomahawk and 6.6 feet below maximum at Willow Reservoir near Hazelhurst. Total storage in WVIC’s system of 21 reservoirs now stands at 54% of capacity, up from 48% of capacity in late November.

Prior to the recent rains, WVIC was predicting that river flows would average 40% below normal over the winter season. Based on the increase in reservoir storage and high natural river flow so far this winter, WVIC now expects river flows for the remainder of the winter season to be within 10% of normal.

Temperatures averaged about 15 degrees above normal last week in the central and northern basins and almost 20 degrees above normal in the southern basin.

 

 

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