Wisconsin River Report - April 10, 2003

Wisconsin River Report

April 10, 2003

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 Hangs on in Wisconsin River Valley

With temperatures averaging at least 15 degrees below normal and more than six inches of snow falling in the northern basin, April got off to a very winter-like start in the Wisconsin River Basin according to Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company of Wausau. And with the return to winter conditions, river flows dropped sharply and the spring refill of the Wisconsin River Reservoir System ground to a halt.

The average weekly temperature of 23 degrees at the Willow Reservoir near Minocqua was 16 degrees below the April normal. The Wausau average temperature of 28 degrees was also 16 degree below normal, while the average temperature at Prairie du Chien of 33 degrees was 15 degrees below normal. Snowfall in excess of six inches was reported in many northwoods areas during a two-day storm on April 5 and 6. An observer in the Rhinelander area reported 9 inches of show during the storm, while Tomahawk reported 6 inches and St. Germain and Land-O-Lakes each reported 4 inches.

After rising for several weeks in March, river flows plunged to winter-like levels in early April. The flow of the Wisconsin River at Merrill averaged 1,910 cubic feet per second (cfs), 50% of the April normal. At Wisconsin Rapids the weekly flow of 3,635 cfs was only 39% of normal and the flow at Muscoda of 7,660 cfs was 44% of normal.

Water levels in WVIC’s five large reservoirs rose slowly in early-April compared to late-March. In the far north, Rainbow Reservoir rose 0.4 foot, but is still 9.1 feet below full and Willow Reservoir rose 0.2 foot and is 7.7 feet below full. Rice and Spirit Reservoir near Tomahawk rose 0.8 foot and 1.0 foot respectively. Rice is now 4.1 feet below full and Spirit is 2.5 feet below full. In the central basin the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir rose 0.4 foot and is now 4.2 feet below full.

Reservoir Water Levels			River Flow			Precipitation
Location	Feet Below Max	Weekly Change (Ft.)	Location	Weekly Average (cfs)	Monthly Normal (cfs)	Location	This Week (In.)	Annual Total (In.)	+/- Annual Normal
Rainbow	9.1	+0.4	Eagle River	N/A	484	Upper Basin	0.72	3.51	-0.65
Willow	7.7	+0.2	Tomahawk	1,285		Central Basin	0.35	2.86	-1.46
Rice	4.1	+0.8	Merrill	1,910	3,850	Temperature
Spirit	2.5	+1.0	Rothschild	3,635		Location	Ave.	Normal	+/-
Eau Pleine	4.2	+0.4	St. Point	3,951		Willow Reservoir	23	39	-16
Reservoir Storage			Wis. Rapids	3,635	9,283	Wausau	28	44	-16
Northern	44%	+5%	Petenwell	2,462		Prairie du Chien	33	48	-15
Overall	51%	+5%	Muscoda	7,660	17,185

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