Don't stress the high water... yet
This was the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River in 2023 when the river was considered at minor-stage flood levels. This year, county officials doubt the river will meet any flood levels despite the recent heavy rain and warm weather.
JOSH McDONALD
Areas throughout Shoshone County are under a flood advisory alert according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). However, county officials aren’t raising the alarm just yet.
Every spring, the Silver Valley braces itself for potential flooding as rainy weather and warmer temperatures move into the area. With temperatures forecasted to reach as high as 50 degrees this week, much of the remaining snow will melt away and drain into the creeks and rivers along the valley floors, raising water levels and creating potentially hazardous conditions.
Despite the recent and forecasted weather, Shoshone County Emergency Manager Dan Martinsen isn’t too concerned.
“At this time, we are not anticipating any flooding,” Martinsen said. “While you should expect some increased flows, none of the forecasts are expecting flow increases approaching flood stages. However, anytime we have these conditions of a rise in temperatures and rain on snow with some wind you have a potential for sudden increased flows that may cause damage in the low-lying areas or small streams.”
NOAA tracks water flows across the county and monitors for potential flooding. When flows suddenly increase toward flood stages, they issue alerts based on the severity of the increase. Flood stages differ at each site they monitor and are based on things like depth and flow – both measured and forecasted.
According to NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service, two areas along the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River and one area of the St. Joe River, near Calder, have experienced significant increases in flows since Saturday morning, but none of them exceeded or are forecasted to exceed the area’s flood stage depths.
In Cataldo, flood stage is 43 feet, and from Saturday to Monday, the depth of the Coeur d’Alene River jumped from a longstanding average of 32 feet to 36 feet. NOAA and Martinsen expect that to rise slightly but then taper off over the coming days – Which is similar to the other areas under the advisory.
Martinsen's comments aren't meant to be taken as a blanket statement, he knows how quickly these things can change with one good storm or a particularly warm day.
“It’s always tough to determine what can happen at this time of year,” Martinsen said. “Our snowpacks have been normal and our temperatures below normal. As those conditions swing to warmer and rain versus snow, the potential for higher flows increases as well. The National Weather Service forecast is normal/average in both temperatures and precipitation. There is no anticipation of flooding issues this year. However, we must always stay wary.”
Martinsen was clear for the folks who live in any of the areas that could be impacted by flooding, i.e., along the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, Cataldo, or the many communities along the St. Joe in the southern region of Shoshone County, you should always be ready for springtime flooding.
“Typical preparation activities are keep your stuff up and out, spring run-off water is always way colder than expected, we should not be in it unless properly prepared,” Martinsen said. “Be situationally aware of the weather and forecasts; find sources of information before the event happens.”
For more information on flooding or to monitor water levels, visit www.water.noaa.gov.