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Wisconsin River Report April 13, 2006

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

 

River Flows Low as Spring Remains Dry

 

Spring river flows in the Wisconsin River basin remained well below flood levels because snowmelt was not accompanied by any significant rainfall and reservoirs along the river stored much of the runoff according to Wisconsin valley Improvement Company of Wausau. The peak spring river flow thus far at Merrill was 8,900 cubic feet per second (cfs), well below the 2-year flood level of 13,300 cfs. Water stored in the northern reservoirs reduced peak flows on the upper river by as much as 40%. The Merrill flow has now dropped below 3,000 cfs and will fall to summer levels in the next week or two if no rain occurs. Peak flows in the central river basin were also very low; 18,200 cfs at Rothschild and 20,900 cfs at Wisconsin Rapids. On the lower Wisconsin River the peak river flows were buffered by the annual spring refill of the Petenwell and Castle Rock hydroelectric plant reservoirs and only reached 9,900 cfs at Wisconsin Dells and 11,800 cfs at Muscoda.

 

There was no measurable rainfall in the northern river basin last week, and only 0.39 inch in the central basin. Total precipitation for the year is running near normal in the north thanks to above normal snowfall, but about 30% below normal in the central basin.

 

Storage in the Wisconsin River Reservoir System rose 13% last week, but has only reached 54% of capacity. Water levels in three of the large man-made reservoirs in the north remain well below the full mark. The Rainbow Reservoir near Lake Tomahawk is still 6.6 feet below maximum, the Willow Reservoir near Hazelhurst is 5.7 feet below maximum, and the Rice Reservoir north of Tomahawk is 4.8 feet below maximum. Only the Spirit Reservoir south of Tomahawk has reached the full mark. In the central basin, the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir near Mosinee is still 4.1 feet below maximum.

 

Temperatures for the past week averaged 46 degrees in the north, 46 degrees in the central basin, and 49 degrees in the southern basin, all above the April normal. Water temperatures have risen quickly because of the warm air temperatures and reached 53 degrees at Wisconsin Rapids by week’s end.

 

 

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