Looked out the window this morning to look at our view of the normally peaceful backwater of the Winchester Dam on the N. Umpqua River and was met with a vision of VERY high water carrying many large logs and other debris. Normally it is very hard to tell that the water is actually moving, but now it looks to be going about 12 mph and the water is up about 6-7 feet.
The dam shown in part below with the fish ladder in normal stage.
Today the water is completely coveringg the whole structure.
Hey Gary, makes me hopeful that I’ll get to go upriver in a few days to chase some steel once all the snow melts and the rain stops…yeah, right huh !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
We have the same thing to the west of you. River here at town is about to go over it’s banks and they are saying it will around midnight. Water is a nice chocolate brown with lots of logs and other trash. And now they are saying we have another big storm storm coming in with warnings posted till Tuesday morning. All this rain and the warm weather melting the snow in the hills is really bringing the water up fast. All the ranchers have been told to get their cattle out of the valley floor. Looks like the steelhead fishing is going to have to wait.
Rocky
I guess I had better send a prayer or two your way.
You folks over that way be sure to keep safe till it goes down.
Looked up at the tv when the alert warning sound started and read that there is flood warnings now through tomorrow sometime in my county. I’m about 200 ft. from the backwater that Gary speaks of and though it’s not all that high just now, the setup that Elkhunter speaks of tells me I should keep an eye on the river.
That being said, since I’ve lived here I’ve seen the river much higher and it was this same time of year and under these same circumstances, i.e. warmer temps…pushing 60 right now, good snow pac…3.5 ft or more at Diamond Lake upstream…and continued rain…raining now…and as Elkhunter mentioned, another big storm coming.
I can’t help feel empathy for the folks in Portland and Seattle though…they’ve suffered and yes, I know it’s nothing to ppl in big snow country but Portland and Seattle just aren’t prepared for that kind of snow accumulation.
Ok, watching the river flow.
MontanaMoose
When you get such high water, are the steelhead able to move OVER the dam or are they still limited to using the ladder?
Now that our low land snows are melting, due to the heavy rain, our rivers are also on the rise…again. Would be nice if they would stay in fishing shape.
I haven’t seen any steelhead in the ladder in a very long time. Kinda expected them to start coming up in the next couple of weeks. My guess is that with the river doing what it is now they are just holding in deep channels or soft eddies. I guess they probably could jump the dam now if they were so inclined.
Gary
Roseburg has been upgraded from flood warning to flood watch. However, out Elkhunter’s way it’s still flood warning in effect.
MontanaMoose
I Feel for you folks, I really so. We live just a few hundred yards from the main stem of the Susquehanna River. Bad as things are at least you don’t have the huge ice jams to magnify the situation. At least I don’t see any on the news reports from our local channels yet.
You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Eric we don’t have to worry about the ice jams. But we do get some massive log jams against the bridges. The State crews were out today working on removing some that have already formed.
Rocky
No, thankfully…no ice jams…log jams though…an important bridge on this drainage was piled up today and it’s a good thing the logs and debris finally washed out or the bridge would have come down when the river goes up more, which listening to the rain just now feels like a possibility. It isn’t as bad as it sounds though, really…thanks though nighthawk.
MontanaMoose
I hear you about the logs. During the last flood here I stood and watched more than a few whole trees go roaring down the Susquehanna. Hope those folks are extra careful clearing those jams.
Can’t wait to see more pics when they come in!
I took these yesterday afternoon with the cell phone…the river had stabilized at this point in time…first pic is close to the same spot Gary took the ‘normal flow’ pic. Quite a difference…
Second pic shows the neighborhood…
I took this next one to show the distant mountains and snow…
Finally, one to show how logs are moved to the offshore mills…
MontanaMoose