Wisconsin River Report - August 7, 2003

Wisconsin River Report

August 7, 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

Early August Rains Provide Minor Drought Relief

Rainfall during the first week of August provided some relief to the Wisconsin River Valley after extremely dry conditions dominated June and July according to Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (WVIC) of Wausau. Rainfall for the week averaged 1.5 inches in the upper basin north of Tomahawk and one inch in the central basin between Tomahawk and Wisconsin Rapids. Despite the recent rains, total rainfall for the summer season is still 30% below normal in the northern basin and 40% below normal in the central basin.

The rains boosted the flow of the Wisconsin River slightly above the August normal and allowed a modest refill of the northern reservoir system from 67% full to 69% of capacity. Water levels in some of the northern reservoirs rose as much as 6 inches after the rains. However, rainfall was not heavy enough in the central basin to provide any refill for the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir near Mosinee.

The flow of the Wisconsin River at Merrill averaged 1,862 cubic feet per second (cfs), just slightly above the August normal of 1,848 cfs. The flow at Wisconsin Rapids of 2,907 cfs was also marginally above the August normal flow of 2,780 cfs. But on the lower river at Muscoda the flow of 3,804 cfs was still 31% below normal.

Air temperatures were slightly above normal last week. The weekly average temperature of 68 degrees at the Willow Reservoir near Minocqua was 3 degrees above the August normal. At Wausau the weekly average temperature of 70 degrees was 1 degree above normal and the weekly temperature of 73 degrees at Prairie du Chien was right at the August normal.

The water temperature in the Wisconsin River averaged 76 degrees, 2 degrees above the seasonal normal.

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	4.9	N/C	Eagle River	N/A	404	Upper Basin	1.57	17.37	-1.11
Willow	3.9	+0.1	Tomahawk	1,640		Central Basin	1.08	15.88	-2.60
Rice	2.6	+0.6	Merrill	1,862	1,848	Temperature
Spirit	3.2	+0.5	Rothschild	2,187		Location	Ave.	Normal	+/-
Eau Pleine	4.2	-0.5	St. Point	3,064		Willow Reservoir	68	65	+3
Reservoir Storage			Wis. Rapids	2,907	2,780	Wausau	70	69	+1
Northern	69%	+2%	Petenwell	2,799	2,900	Prairie du Chien	73	73	0
Overall	70%	-1%	Muscoda	3,804	5,541

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