Dangerous Conditions

[bigr]

If any of you have been following the reservoir levels on the corp site you'll see how high and record levels they are at. Here in Wabash we have had several high water events in the downtown areas, thanks to the resi's they have been keep to a minimum and short lived. That may all change starting today with the forced outflow from the roush and sally. Water is still rising and is raining right now. Forecast calling for periods of rain all week. Situation for many communities along the river likely will get real bad,like we have never seen since before the resi's were put in. I'm really surprise the news isn't picking up on this. Crops in Wabash county are for the most part a total loss. Lets put in a pray for a break from the rain.

[tater140]

Agreed, I have been keeping an eye one it.  I fish Sally quite a bit. I just got a pic from a buddy that shows the water touching the bottom of the 105 bridge. 

[Steveo4iu]

 I just left the 105 bridge,  talking to a guy fishing from the bridge casting into the trees he was catching Crappie and white bass.

[gilldan]

Been watching Huntington as that is were we fish in the small ponds.  Couple are fishable and didn't get the river water in them.  Heading that way tomorrow.  Lets hope the rains will stop or stay to a drizzle.  We have had enough flooding and the farmers are going to have enough problems.  It has to be to late to replant.  They couldn't get in the fields now even if they wanted too.  It's going to effect us all with higher food prices.  Was at the lake yesterday near Webster.  Lake got pretty high pretty fast.

[bigr]

Several homes have now been evacuated due to the rising water and expected continue threat. A red cross shelter is set up in town for those already affected and for others to come. Volunteers are needed, check with the Wabash red cross for details. Pray we don't get rain today.

[Gartoon]

 
Was going to Sally for next week .........
probably a bad idea. Now I got to find plan b.

[bigr]

Sally and Roush are falling as fast as the corp can make them but the Miss is at it's record level and still rising. The dry weather the last few days have helped but we're still not out of the woods. We can't get any more of the 2 to 3 in rainstorms for the next month or so. The Miss will have to start dumping water soon so it can hold some more back if needed. City of Wabash has several road closed due to sink holes caused by the high water making it more difficult getting for one side of town to the other. Basically all traffic gets directed to one road. Maybe a positive thing that will come from the high water is a rapid growth spert of the fish during this period. Seems like all the fish should have plenty to feed on. What do you all think.

[High Tide]

Anytime you can limit pressure in a high pressure enviroment, it seems to have a positive affect. Catract is a good example, as it gets crazy high water level and it limited pressure, but when it's at normal pool you can get a nice limit of eaters just about each trip. From a crappie standpoint, black crappie do every well in high water, because they prefer bugs over minnows anyway. I think white crappie can go either way, because the have to search more cover to find fry (not to say they won't eat bugs to survive). The small crappie are filter feeders as much as bug and fry feeders, so they seem to do well if there are places to escape the current. Only time will tell. I feel sorry for all the lives affected, hope they can catch a break soon. Thanks for the updates Bigr.

[bigr]

All three upper resi's are still rising with much less combined capacity to hold water. On the crop site it is shown as Percentage available, once 100% is reached as the roush and sally did recently the corp will be forced the release water.  If we get the predicted rain for the northern and central part of the state flooding like no one has every seen since well before the dams construction may very well occur.

[tater140]

I really believe that the miles and miles of tile that farmers have installed in their fields the past 5 years have resulted in the ability to fill these 3 reservoirs to capacity so quickly.  I have fished these reservoirs most of my life and can't recall ever seeing them all 3 so quick to fill up and remain at capacity.  Now i do realize we have received a lot of rain this spring, but I was just surprised how quickly they filled up.  I work in the building design industry and see first hand the requirements imposed on building owners to have retention/detention ponds on site so as to not deliver too  much stormwater into the system all at once.  But on the other hand I see all of the tile going into the fields that is dumping direcly into ditches/streams etc... making it's way to the reservoirs.  In my opinion it will continue to be a problem moving forward.

[bigr]

I agree tator, that and the fact that over the years the resi's have silted in and eroded some much they just don't hold near as much. I've heard it said that the resi's were built with a 50 yr life span before dredging would be needed. That's never happened. They have been worth ever cent the tax payers spent back 65 yrs ago but it might be time to put more into them. I think it would be money well spent compared to some things and the rewards last for decades as we are seeing right now. These resi's were engineered with the exact worst case scenario like we are in right now and working to perfection,RIGHT NOW. They are 65 yrs old so lets hope and pray it continues. Those Corp of Eng designers without the add of satellite or other modern technology to see what could drain where is amazing.   

[tomturkey]

I thought of you Hoosiers when I first looked at the radar this morning. We need some rain in mid Michigan but I saw right away that you were going to get hit again. Luckily this system was fast moving but with all the red I saw on the radar down there I am sure you got plenty of rain in a short time.