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Wisconsin River Report May 20, 2004

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

 

Reservoir System Approaches the Full Mark

 

Timely rainfall during May has pushed storage in the Wisconsin River Reservoir System to 93% of capacity according to Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (WVIC) of Wausau. Measurable rainfall has occurred somewhere in the Wisconsin River basin on ten of the first twenty days in May. While none of the rainfall events have been large, steady runoff from the continuing rains has held river flows above normal and allowed the reservoir system to fill to near full capacity.

Only one of WVIC’s five large reservoirs, Willow, has not reached the full mark yet this spring. The Willow water level is 1.2 feet below maximum and storage in the reservoir stands at 88% of capacity. Water levels in the Rainbow, Rice, Spirit, and Eau Pleine Reservoirs are all within 0.4 foot of maximum. The Willow water level is expected to rise slowly over the next few weeks with more rain in the forecast.

Most of WVIC’s smaller natural-lake reservoirs are at their normal summer levels. The only exceptions are Twin Lakes near Phelps that is still 0.6 foot below the summer target level and the Minocqua chain of lakes that is 0.3 foot below the summer target level. Water levels in both lakes are expected to reach the summer target levels if May rainfall continues at the current rate.

            The May rains have held the flow of the Wisconsin River well above normal. At Merrill the weekly average river flow of 4,149 cubic feet per second was 34% above the May normal. The river at flow at both Rothschild and Wisconsin Rapids was about 30% above normal, while on the lower river the flow at Muscoda was 25% above normal.

            The water temperature of the Wisconsin River is running close to the seasonal normal of 62 degrees, ranging from 60 degrees at Rhinelander to 64 degrees at Wisconsin Rapids.

 

 

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