Thaw and Flood?

Here's an update from city engineer Rich Vela on potential flooding as a result of the expected 'warm' temps this weekend.

With the temperatures forecasted to be in the forties on Sunday with some rain, I wanted to give a brief update on flooding potential in the City.

DPW crews have been clearing storm inlets first in low lying areas and then progressing to upstream inlets. This should minimize the potential for localized street flooding.

In speaking with Dave Jenda of Dane County Emergency Management, the potential for flooding is greatest in rural areas where drainage courses in low lying areas are blocked with ice. Wide spread flooding in urban areas is of minimal concern. Lake levels are low enough to take any melting snow and/or anticipated rainfall quantities.

If needed, the City has a few thousand sandbags at the DPW garage. Dane County has about 80,000 sandbags at the Highway Department located off of Fish Hatchery Road.

Lake Monona lake level information:
02/29/2008 844.75 current lake level
01/04/1998 843.69 record minimum
01/04/1986 846.03 record maximum
02/29/xxxx 844.50 average for the date
08/21/2007 846.30 lake level when sandbagging efforts began in 2007

As can been seen, the lake level is currently approximately 1.5 feet below the level at which sandbagging efforts started last summer. So, flooding due to high lake levels is a minimal possibility.

All in all, I believe reasonably appropriate steps are being taken in anticipation of
the warmer weather expected.


Richard R. Vela,
P.E.
City Engineer/Director of Public Works
City of Monona