High Water On The Way Once Again

Rivers and lakes are on the rise again after cool, dry weather gave waterways a chance to stabilize in the past week.

A flood warning remains for the St. Joe River in St. Maries, while the Coeur d’Alene River began creeping back up toward flood stage Wednesday.

“We still have a whole lot of snowmelt up there,” said Sandy Von Behren, coordinator of Kootenai County Disaster Services.

The freezing level was expected to rise to 10,000 feet by today, and temperatures were forecasted to be in the 70s.

The Coeur d’Alene River should reach flood stage - 2,143 feet - by this weekend, but it will have to rise another foot to cross Latour Creek Road and cut off access to about 70 homes there.

The St. Joe River is about 2 feet over flood stage, and could climb another 2 feet by the weekend. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been raising low spots on the levees the past few days in preparation for high water.

The National Weather Service called for water levels to continue to climb through next week.

Von Behren said if Lake Coeur d’Alene reaches 2,134 feet, as it’s supposed to do early next week, the Spokane River may start to hit the wall of sandbags that residents stacked last week. The wall may have to be raised later next week, if water continues to climb, she said.

Lake Pend Oreille also was rising again Wednesday, although it has several feet to go before reaching flood stage.

Snow conditions look similar to those during the 1972 and ‘74 floods, said Bob Schloss of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Then, Lake Pend Oreille reached 2,065.5 feet, 3 feet over summer level.

“We’re not expecting to see real significant damage,” he said. Homes around the lake are built above 2,067.5 feet, he said.

Von Behren said Kootenai County has concerns about Bayview if the lake gets too high. Disaster Services is planning a community meeting there.

The Navy Acoustic Research Detachment base in Bayview has prepared a flood plan that involves moving boats and anchoring docks, said Lt. Cmdr Rick Schulz.

“Three feet (over summer level) is not expected to be a problem for us,” Schulz said.

, DataTimes