Flood warnings continue as lake, river levels rise
Mary Malone Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 6 months AGO
(Photo by ERIC PLUMMER) Youngsters run along a flooding pier leading to the Statue of Liberty statue at City Beach while anglers try their luck off the structure. National Weather Service official say the lake level will continue to inch up slightly today and then begin declining as soon as Thursday.
(Photo by ERIC PLUMMER)Anglers try their luck off the flooded pier leading to the Statue of Liberty statue at City Beach. National Weather Service official say the lake level will continue to inch up slightly today and then begin declining as soon as Thursday.
SANDPOINT — Flood warnings continue for Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River below Albeni Falls Dam until further notice, according to the National Weather Service.
Flood stage for Lake Pend Oreille is 2,063.5 feet, and as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, the NWS reported the lake's elevation at 2064.18 feet. The river flow below Albeni Falls has reached "moderate" flood stage at 119,200 cubic feet per second as of noon on Tuesday, well above the flood stage of 95,000 cfs.
According to the NWS forecast, the river will continue to rise to 119,500 cfs today, then begin falling on Thursday. Based on 1997 data, the NWS said if levels reach 120,000 cfs, water will begin to cover portions of Deeter, Sandy Shores, McCloud Creek and Yergens roads, with flooding of homes and structures in those areas, as well as some flooding of the Pow Wow grounds at Usk.
The lake is expected to rise to around 2,065 feet today before beginning to fall on Thursday. According to the NWS, at 2,064 feet, minor flooding of the driveways and lowlands in the Pack and Clark Fork River valleys near the lake occurs, as well as flooding of the Scenic Bay RV sites and marina parking lot in Bayview. Most of the dock ramps around the lake are submerged at that level as well. If levels continue to rise to 2,065.5 feet, flooding of some lakeside homes and docks is likely, according to the report.
The high flows below Albeni Falls recently prompted the Pend Oreille County Sheriff's Office to prohibit all recreational activities on the river, such as swimming and boating, until further notice. Upstream of the dam, Bonner County has extended the 200-foot no-wake zone to 500 feet. Boaters are warned to be on the lookout for debris, such as floating or submerged logs.
Sand and bags are available at Bonner County Road and Bridge’s District 2 shop on Eastside Road in Priest River, the Northside Fire District’s Rapid Lightning Road station, the city of Sandpoint’s shop on Industrial Drive and the Selkirk Fire Rescue & EMS station in Sagle. Empty sandbags are available at the Sam Owen Fire District station in Hope and the Northside Fire District’s station in Ponderay.
Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.
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