Corps to divert bulging Chena to flood project
Originally published Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 9:56 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 8:49 p.m.
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FAIRBANKS -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to lower the gates on the Chena Flood Control Project to restrict the Chena River flow, project manager John Schaake said.
“We’re skimming the top off the flood,” he explained.
Two days of heavy rain have pushed the Salcha, Chena and Tanana rivers in Interior Alaska over their banks, washing out roads and flooding some neighborhoods. About 100 to 150 homes in the Salcha area have been affected, according to Fairbanks North Star Borough officials. The Salcha River is at its highest level since 1968, according to the National Weather Service. It is expected to crest tonight at 21 feet -- 7 feet above flood stage.
As of 8:30 p.m., the gates were still up. When the system is activated, four steel gates 25 feet wide and 18 feet tall will be hydraulically lowered into the Chena, constricting the flow to 8,000 to 8,500 cubic feet per second. Anything over that is held back in Moose Creek Dam.
Those gates have been lowered as briefly as six hours and for as long as three weeks, Schaake said. In 27 years of project operations, this will be the 20th time the gates have been used to regulate the river.
The river will still pick up water from drainages between the dam and the Chena’s confluence with the Tanana, Schaake said. In all, the Corps’ regulations state no more than 12,000 cubic feet per second is to flow through downtown Fairbanks.
Once flood worries have passed, Schaake will release water from the dam back into the Chena in controlled amounts.
That might not happen right away. Water accumulating in 1,500 miles of drainage above the dam hasn’t even reached the Chena yet. For example, the 40-mile gauge at Two Rivers peaked Wednesday morning and was receding, Schaake said. As last night’s precipitation makes its way to the river, the levels are expected to rise again.
The Chena River Flood Project has no effect on the Salcha River, he added. The dam also won’t affect the Tanana River, which is backing up into the Chena at their confluence, he said.
And, any action at the dam won’t change make a difference for eight to 12 hours in downtown Fairbanks, 40 river miles further down the Chena.
The Alaska Railroad suspended passenger train service Wednesday north of Denali National Park and Preserve because of rising waters in the Nenana area, according to a news release from the railroad. Passengers will be bused between Denali and Fairbanks today and Thursday morning.
Dozens of residents have evacuated, and the Red Cross has opened shelter in Salcha and are prepared to open a second one in Rosie Creek if necessary. Rivers are expected to continue to rise Wednesday and more rain is forecast for Thursday.
Water is 2 feet deep in some yards and is still rising quickly. Residents in the affected areas are urged to boil water before using it for washing or cooking because flooded wells may become contaminated.
As of Wednesday morning, the Tanana River was the highest it’s been in nearly 11 years, according to the National Weather Service meteorologist John Lingaas. The Salcha and Chena rivers are flooding in several places and the Little Chena and Chatanika rivers are still rising.
The Old Richardson Highway is under water in several places, but the new Richardson Highway is still open.
Flooding continues in Salcha in the Old Boondox Bar area, the Old Richardson Highway to approximately Bradbury Drive and the Salcha River area, including the Salcha River Campground and downstream from the campground.
About 30 residents have voluntarily evacuated the Salcha area and about 20 residents have sought shelter with the American Red Cross at Salcha Elementary, 8530 Richardson Highway. A public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. today at Salcha Elementary School to update residents on flood conditions.
Sandbags are available at the Salcha Fairgrounds just north of the Salcha Fire and Rescue Station on the Richardson Highway.
Borough officials are monitoring the area in case further evacuations are needed.
Washouts have been reported on Perkins Road and Melody Lane. Chief John Drive is impassible and some parts of Chena Pump Road are flooded, according to a news release from the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The rifle range on South Cushman Street has also been closed due to flooding in the area.
“As we get close to moderate flood stages (about 27 feet), we’re looking at even more water coming in to those areas,” Lingaas said.
Red Cross volunteers are prepared to open an evacuation shelter at University Park Elementary, 554 Loftus Ave., for residents displaced due to the flooding. So far, residents have been making other arrangements, a borough news release said.
Residents in that area are advised to call 911 if they need help evacuating.
Sand and sand bags are available at the turnout on the left side of the Chena Pump Road above the Chena Pump Campground.
An emergency operations center has been set up, according to Barry Jennings, Fairbanks North Star Borough emergency director.
A public information line — (907) 459-1213 — has been established at the operations center. Information will be posted on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Web site, www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/.
Community Discussion
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Rain, rain come my way,
burst the river, make my day!
with any luck, the water will rise as slowly as this website loads...
My deck is now a dock i hope the salmon washed in the pond in the back yard so we can fish them through the winter
@ KingFisher.. no joke. I cant really complain too much since I'm not paying for it but newsminer.com is always one of the slowest sites. I usually get it started and go to adn.com and usually if not errored out, its loaded by then.
Right now, the Tanana River gauge at Fairbanks is reading 26.27 feet. If that's the highest it goes, it would be the 13th highest measurement ever recorded according to the NWS' list of historical crests (http://aprfc.arh.noaa.gov/ahps2/crests.p...).
Comeon Comeon! Only a couple more inches of rain and fairbanksans can go swimming.
Flood Insurance claim numbers
Fidelity 1-800-820-3242
Hartford 1-800-303-5633
Selective 1-877-348-0552
Hope this helps!
Am I nuts, or does the link actually suggest that this is the SECOND highest measurement?
You folks making jokes must not be homeowners. It's all fun and games when you don't have any responsibilities.
Well, if the borough didn't help with flood awareness before--they sure will now (here's hoping). Especially since it may help with a community rating system to prevent future unnecessary high flood insurance premiums! Micheline at Ken Murray insurance has been actively trying to get the borough to participate in this program and why shouldn't they? Nome, of all places, participates in this program--why isn't Fairbanks? Because of the extra labor involved? I strongly urge those who are curious to go to the FEMA website for more information or contact her (I post this with authorization from her, she welcomes any questions from anyone).
Doesnt this same area around Salcha get flooded every couple years?
I just went out to the Chena Lakes Flood Control Project dam, and one of the rangers there told me that they're planning to close the floodgates around 5 p.m. today. According to his records, this will be just the 19th or 20th time in the 40-year history of the project that engineers have actively controlled the river.
why do people live and build in flood prone areas, it seems like a no-brainer to me.
@dirtlover
Where do you propose people build? The entire borough is a flood zone. Outside of that, if it's not floods, it's fire, or earthquakes, or hurricanes, etc. We have to build somewhere.
Aside from that, a real answer, is that flood zones tend to be good for shipping lanes. Prior to cars, trains, and planes, goods were (and still are) shipped heavily on rivers (think international shipping via Hong Kong, New Orleans, New York City, etc.). Living near those rivers makes it easier to obtain goods (for building as well).
When we close the the chena river floodgates, that will put more water in the tanana, causing more flooding.
There are alot of us that live out there for a number of reasons. I lived in Salcha for 20 years before I bought my property. I knew that the land I bought was in a flood zone, I also knew that in the previous 20 years it had not flooded. In the past 5 years it has flooded five times. Four times from ice jams at breakup and this one. I am not complaining about the flood, I am also not standing around with my hand out asking what anyone is gonna do for me. I bought a house in a flood zone and knew the score when I did so. My family is safe and everything else can be replaced.
Is there a hydrologist in the house?
I'm not a hydrologist but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!
visit www.floodsmart.gov to enter your phyiscal address and find out your flood risk!!!
hi.. anybody have any updates on the flooding near the Knotty Shop in Salcha? Thanks..
J-
It doesn't look like #13 on the river history. At the NOAA website it says 26.46 ft currently, and the top 3 crests are:
(1) 27.80 ft on 08/16/1967
(2) 26.25 ft on 08/14/1997
(3) 25.76 ft on 06/17/1984
That puts it at number two, and according to http://aprfc.arh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrogra... they're saying it is likely to reach near the '67 record tomorrow at 27.56 ft.
Am I reading that right? If not, please correct me.
Hey, the whole borough may technically be "flood zone," but not really. My folks lived in the hills off Farmers Loop in '67 (we live next door now.) Not in the range of river overage, but we welcomed a lot of visitors in '67 until the waters subsided. My husband's family lived in Island Homes in '67 ... not so good.
pragmatist, I thought the same thing. Are we going nuts?
So does this mean that the flood control area out by North Pole will have a lake behind it? I have only heard about times when the flood control has actually been used and I have always wanted to see it in action. Is there something to see if I drive out there or would it be a waste of gas?
Also... I am truly sorry for the people dealing with flooding right now. It has to be a horrible feeling to see it rising and not being able to do a thing about it. You are in my prayers.
Iggy-
Don't know, but I understand your curiosity. I'm also out of town and am curious about what's going on. (My friends are blissfully oblivious.) Who's on CHSR and could give me an update? 15 mi.
Somebody help Iggy out... or you could check out the website cited above. It's pretty dynamic.
Imusallyright: I spoke to some friends out in two rivers and they said they made it home okay...dunno about further out...hope this helps!
Thanks KF.
seven51 the water has only reached the Tanana once or twice when the Corps have closed the floodgates in the past. The impoundment area is so large behind the dike that they must be closed for more than a weerk if I remember correctly before the flow actually reaches the Tanana.
Just got back from the flood control, they are still open but the log jam is pretty impressive
I feel sorry for those who live in the flood zone. Myself, I live in the hills so, I can't imagine what you guys must be going through. Where I be thinking of you in your time of need
The flood in 67 reached over 34 feet, but I don't know why it is not on the website. I saw it there before, and there have been other events over 30 feet. The big flood had water almost 8 feet higher than this one.
As of about 4 this evening, the water near the Knotty Shop had receded quite a bit. I'd say the water had dropped at least six inches.
that chena flood control project again proves to be a brilliant idea
arcticracer, that's what I thought too, and that's what I saw on the NWS site as well. According to the Google cache of the site (http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:Hsl...), the 1967 flood peaked at 34.4 feet on the Tanana River south of Fairbanks. The rest of the top five crests are also above 30 feet. I don't know why they changed that information. It's darn strange.
It takes quite a while to see water at the Flood Control impoundment area by the Rich. At least 4-5 days before it backs up to there. Even longer to get to the Tanana. Even then it looks like a slowly filling lake.
Re flood zones, the Borough maps are in error, particularly around the edges. They rely on FEMA and FEMA bases its maps on topographic averages based on photometric studies - they fly planes over, take pictures and then take the average elevations to figure the property that is over mean flood elevation. The problem is that if an individual lot has a little swale, even a few feet, it will be below the MFE but the map will show it is above it. Look at all that property on the west side of Chief John in Rosie Creek. The map says it's outside the zone but it's just as wet as the neighbor across the street.
Rosie creek, remember all that water swirling around you is contaminated with sewage. Wash and clorox anything including your boat that comes in contact with it. Don't trust your well or septic until you've had it cleaned. Get on the list now, freeze up is coming.
Put waders on and surveyed the Chief John Drive and Melanie area, had to turn around when I reached water right up to my armpits on the road. There was a pickup truck that did not make it out, only 1 foot of it showing. Saw some homes with water in them, and quite a few canoes on the "road".
Finally, *finally* a newsminer article that doesn't have posters hurling insults at each other, or polarizing others into either the evil neocon or demented democrat camps, into brainwashed global warming sheeple or out-of-touch deniers of climate change . . . regardless of what the actual, original issue was.
I guess what it takes for us to behave civilly towards each other is a good, old-fashioned natural disaster like flooding rivers.
God willin' and the crick don't rise (too much more) we'll be able to maintain some semblance of civility for a few more hours on other postings, too.
Or, is that simply too much to ask of ourselves?
And, um, James Brooks, you kinda avoided responding to King Fisher's and brianbb's comments about how slowly the newsminer website loads. I think it would be nice if the newsminer did something to speed this up a bit.
Not really my department, LadyNYC -- I just post when I find something that might be useful/interesting to you all -- but rest assured, the folks in charge of running the website have read the comments, and I'm sure they're working on it.
i never have a problem with this site loading. maybe you should upgrade your internet service, or get off of your old 90's computer
Both home and work I have high speed internet. ACS at work GCI at home(1 meg work, 3 meg at home). My computer isnt the newest, got it maybe 3 years or so ago. The computer I have at work was bought about a year ago. Newsminer is one of the slowest loading sites.
Does anyone know what information was given at the Salcha Elementary School Meeting at 7pm tonight? Before the meeting we heard the Salcha River Bridge was going to be closed. Would like to know if I will make it to work tomorrow.
There are still MANY of us who have dialup Internet connections.
On a daily basis, I have to try five or sox times or more to get certain comment-heavy sites to load.
Just out of curiosity, why don't they forecast water levels and give historic levels for the Chena? The Tanana causes flooding in outlying areas, but the Chena runs right through downtown.
IUR, to my knowledge it has never flooded at 15 mile CHSR. I've never even seen the level of the lakes go up.
Does anyone know how the Steamboat Landing area is doing?
If I'm reading these correctly, THIS
http://aprfc.arh.noaa.gov/ahps2/metadata...
says flood stage for the Chena River near Chena Lakes is 24.5 feet,
and THIS
http://aprfc.arh.noaa.gov/ahps2/crests.p...
gives 10 historical crests at over 40 feet, with the highest at 44.95 feet. Wouldn't that be physically impossible if it floods at 24.5 feet?
The website would be slower still if not there at all. If you don't like it don't use it.
After the big flood, they recommended moving Fairbanks into the hills. How many remember using the steps at the bottom of the University hill as a boat landing? Remember one year, living further north, 68 days of rain in a row. The interior can have some pretty wet weather and then they still call is a desert. Like someone said, the wettest darn desert in the world.
Akangel,
A true Alaskan. Thank you for your honesty and if I can assist you or your family in any way please e-mail me. We don't need FEMA, the State, the FNSB or any other government agency. We can and we should take of each other as neighbors.
It gladdens my heart to read forum entries such as this one. There is still hope for us. Now let us start getting rid of the nannies.
Just came back from recon. at 11:30 am
Little Chena is near top of the bank;
Chena at Nordale Bridge is about even with the top.
Current time 12:11 PM
I could see about 1 mile heavy rain.
Radar map shows more on the way this pm from the West.
http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/radar.php...
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