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Wisconsin River Report May 26, 2005

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

 

Spring Drought Halts Reservoir Refill

 

Rainfall that is averaging 40% below normal in the northern basin and 30% below normal in the central basin since the end of March has caused river flows to drop to summer-like levels and halted the refill of the northern reservoir system at only 67% of capacity according to Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (WVIC) of Wausau. Not only has rainfall been well below normal, but there have been no rainfall events large enough to produce any significant runoff.

As a result of the extremely dry conditions for the past two months, the flow of the Wisconsin River at Merrill fell to only 1,800 cubic feet per second last week, 40% below the May normal and similar to flows that are normally seen in July or August. The flow of the Wisconsin River in the City of Eagle River was only 275 cfs last week, less than half of the May normal. Flows were somewhat higher in the lower basin because of slightly wetter conditions in that area, but river flow at Muscoda was still 30% below normal.

Like river flow, reservoir storage has suffered from the dry conditions. The Rainbow Reservoir in northern Oneida County has stopped refilling with the water level still 4.2 feet below full. The Willow Reservoir near Hazelhurst is still 5.0 feet below full and Rice Reservoir (Lake Nokomis) near Tomahawk is 1.3 feet below full. Many of WVIC’s natural-lake reservoirs in the far north are also well below their summer target levels. Twin Lakes near Phelps is 1.2 feet below the summer level, Seven Mile Lake outside of Eagle River is 1.1 feet bellow the summer level, and Squirrel Lake and the Minocqua chain of lakes are all 0.7 foot below the summer target levels.

            Air temperatures were above normal in the northern and central basins with the weekly average temperature averaging 5 degrees above normal at the Willow Reservoir and 2 degrees above normal at Wausau. The water temperature in the Wisconsin River ranged from 61 degrees in the northern basin to 64 degrees in the southern basin. Normal water temperature at the end of May is 64 degrees.

 

 

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