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Wisconsin River Report July 21, 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

 

River Flow Plummets as Drought Worsens

 

River flows in the Wisconsin River basin have fallen to critically low levels in July as drought conditions that began in April have persisted through spring and summer according to Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (WVIC) of Wausau. The regulated flow of the Wisconsin River at Merrill dropped to 950 cubic feet per second (cfs) this week, only 44% of the July normal. Water released from WVIC’s reservoir system provided 78% of the river flow at Merrill last week. Without reservoir water, the river flow at Merrill would have been only 250 cfs or 12% of normal.

River flows were well below normal at locations throughout the basin. At Wisconsin Rapids the regulated flow of 1,434 was 45% of normal. Water released from the northern reservoir system and the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir provided 79% of the Wisconsin Rapids river flow. On the lower river at Muscoda the weekly average flow of 3,476 cfs was 50% of normal.

Like river flow, reservoir storage has suffered from the dry conditions. The Rainbow Reservoir in northern Oneida County has now dropped to 7.4 feet below full. The Willow Reservoir near Hazelhurst is 5.6 feet below full and both the Rice (Lake Nokomis) and Spirit Reservoirs near Tomahawk are 3.5 feet below full. The Big Eau Pleine Reservoir near Mosinee has fallen to 3.9 feet below full. Many of WVIC’s natural-lake reservoirs in the far north are also well below their summer target levels. Overall reservoir storage is down to 64% of capacity, the lowest level at this time of year since 1988. Boaters are reminded to use extra caution this summer on the reservoirs because of the low water levels.

            Air temperatures were well above normal throughout the basin with the weekly average temperature averaging 8 degrees above normal at the Willow Reservoir, 6 degrees above normal at Wausau, and 3 degrees above normal at Prairie du Chien. The water temperature in the Wisconsin River has been in the low 80’s for the past week. Normal water temperature in mid-July is 75 degrees.

 

 

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