Local waters begin retreat

January 3, 2006

Klamath Falls Herald and News

By DYLAN DARLING

With water back in the banks of the Sprague River near Beatty, Klamath County officials are now watching to see if it spills as it surges to Chiloquin.

“There will be a surge headed down the Williamson,” said Bill Thompson, county emergency manager.

After heavy rain last week melted snow and swelled the Sprague, officials braced for floods that could have been as bad as 1996-97, when a similar string of weather brought high water. Those floods caused $335,000 in damage along the Sprague and Williamson rivers. The Sprague crested at 9.3 feet Sunday. Flood stage is at 8.5 feet. Although high, the water wasn't like it was in 1996-97.

“Back then it was about 11 feet,” Thompson said. “We would have to get a whole lot of rain to jack it up two more feet.”

The river level had dropped to 7.89 feet Monday. And although there may be snow and rain this week, there should be a reprieve from the pounding rain and swirling snow of last week.

But the water that was bursting at Beatty is still pushing its way toward Chiloquin and the Williamson. The Sprague's many curves slow water as it winds its way to where the river meets the Williamson in Chiloquin.

Thompson said the high water from Sunday on the Sprague should make it to Chiloquin today, but because of the difference in geography and the change in weather, the rivers shouldn't be at flood stage. The Chiloquin gage on the Williamson was at 6.56 feet Monday and was expected to be at 6.93 feet at 9 a.m. today. Flood stage is 8.44 feet.

Patches of blue sky Monday were a welcome sight to county officials who Friday had been warning people in the Sprague River Valley to brace for an evacuation. With the change in weather, the water was receding.

“Monday was a real good day for us,” Thompson said in a press release. “When we had clearing skies and no precip.”

The National Weather Service's flood warning for the Sprague has been canceled and there is no warning for the Williamson.

Klamath County sheriff's deputies checked the Sprague River Valley Monday and reported any damage to homes by flood waters.

While water is going down near Beatty, a Klamath Falls mobile home park is still waterlogged after last week's storms.

“It's just as deep as it was,” said Marilyn McClintock, manager of the Bristol Mobile Home Park on Bristol Avenue near Washburn Way. “There is just no place for it to go.”

A patch of the park's mobile homes have been surrounded by 1-foot deep water caused by a blocked culvert. She said a backhoe should be on the scene today, deepening a ditch and clearing out the culvert to give the water room to drain.

More water down Klamath River

Despite flood levels on the Lower Klamath River, flows from Upper Klamath Lake at Link River Dam have been increased. After PacifiCorp announced Monday that it would up flows from the dam in Klamath Falls to 3,000 cubic feet per second, U.S. Geological Survey gauges showed the water to be flowing at 3,600 cfs.

The flow was twice as much as was being released from the dam on Thursday, according to information on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Klamath Falls Web site.

PacifiCorp engineers determined the water should not have an impact on waters on the river based on weather forecasts for the next couple of days, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department.

The river's waters were receding Monday night, but were still a foot or so above flood level. Flooding caused by storms last week and over the weekend damaged roads throughout Siskiyou County. Highway 96 along the Klamath River was impassable Monday night.