Area lowlands safe from heavy flooding — for now
By LARRY MEYER
ARGUS OBSERVER
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 10:36 AM PST
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| Although the water elevation of the Malheur River was the highest at the 36th Street Bridge (shown in background) Monday, it was well below flood stage. |
ONTARIO — While some rivers on the west side of Oregon and Washington are rising and have started to flood, that does not appear to be an issue for Eastern Oregon and Southwest Idaho.
At least for the near future.
Despite the snowfall followed by warming trends, temperatures will be cooling again and precipitation sporadic through the weekend. All the National Weather Service gauge sites reported Monday flooding was not an issue.
“I have not heard of any reports of ice jams or piles,” Malheur County Sheriff Andy Bentz said, Monday.
While there is some surface water, it is not blocked and is draining efficiently.
“We’re not anticipating any problems,” Bentz said.
He suggested some of the water is seeping into the ground. With the reservoirs as empty as they are, it will take a major rain event to bring the rivers up to flood stage, Bentz said.
According to United States Bureau of Reclamation charts, Beulah Reservoir is showing a sharp increase in storage, while Owyhee Reservoir and Warm Springs are fairly flat. According to charts posted by the BOR and the National Weather Service, the Malheur River has spiked upward in the past few days but has stayed well below flood stage. The flood stage on the Malheur River near Vale is 9.5 feet, and the National Weather Service put the current elevation at less than 4 feet. The National Weather Service predicted a peak of 7 feet. At the 36th Street Bridge near Ontario, however, the water level was above 6 feet but was well within the banks.
The Weiser River was posted at 4.5 feet — also far below a flood stage of 9.5 feet — and was projected to recede through the end of the week.
Temperatures will alternate between the high 30s and the low 40s during the next few days. Chances for snow and rain will also alternate, according to Joel Tannenholz, National Weather Service forecaster, said.
With the temperatures above 50 degrees, Monday, Tannenholz said the snow is melting pretty quickly, but it will cool down today. Temperatures are anticipated to reach the mid- to upper-30s today and then jump up to the mid-40s Wednesday, he said.
“It’s going to be up and down,” Tannenholz said.
As far as precipitation, there is a possibility of receiving a tenth of an inch of rain today, Tannenholz said, with even smaller amounts expected Wednesday through Saturday in the form of snow and/or rain.
