Home | Reservoirs | Hydroplants | Wisconsin River | Recreation | News | Data & Links | Public Safety | Water Levels | Hydropower Facts |

 

 

Recent Rains Not Enough to Break Drought

 

Rainfall amounts that averaged slightly more than an inch over the past week were not enough to break the drought cycle brought on by the driest summer in 27 years according to Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (WVIC) of Wausau. River flows rose marginally after last weekend’s rain, but then returned to their previous low levels within a few days. Rains later in the week were even lighter and are not expected to have any effect on river flow. Reservoir water levels continue to fall as water stored in the reservoir system is used to augment the extremely low river flows.

Rainfall earlier in the week averaged 1.30 inches in the northern basin and 1.37 inches in the central portion of the Wisconsin River basin. While these amounts are above the normal for a week in September of about 0.9 inch, rainfall since June 1 is still running almost 40% below normal. Continued heavy rains will be required to erase the deficit from June, July, and August.

The flow of the Wisconsin River at Merrill averaged 1,438 cubic feet per second (cfs) last week, about 20% below normal. Flows were even farther below normal at downstream locations. At Wisconsin Rapids the flow of 2,075 cfs was 33% below normal and at Muscoda on the lower river the flow of 3,651 cfs was 50% below normal. Water released from WVIC’s reservoir system continues to provide 50% or more of the regulated flow.

Reservoir storage dropped 2% last week to 51% of capacity. Storage had been dropping about 4% per week prior to the recent rains. Water levels in the five large reservoirs now range from five feet to nine feet below full.

Temperatures were well above normal last week with daytime highs in the mid-seventies to lower eighties. The weekly average temperatures of 61 degrees in the northern basin and 66 degrees in the central basin were both seven degrees above the September normal. The weekly average temperature of 69 degrees in the southern basin was six degrees above 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	8.3	N/C	Eagle River	N/A	492	Upper Basin	1.30	20.38	-2.78
Willow	8.2	-0.5	Tomahawk	1,380		Central Basin	1.37	18.07	-5.78
Rice	4.9	-0.3	Merrill	1,438	1,806	Temperature
Spirit	6.3	-0.3	Rothschild	1,768		Location	Ave.	Normal	+/-
Eau Pleine	9.4	-0.7	St. Point	2,117		Willow Reservoir	61	59	+7
Reservoir Storage			Wis. Rapids	2,075	3,071	Wausau	66	64	+7
Northern	52%	-2%	Petenwell	1,474	4,000	Prairie du Chien	69	68	+6
Overall	51%	-2%	Muscoda	3,651	7,548

 

- 30 -