SEATTLE—Flood teams from the Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will initiate work today on the Riverside North levee in Riverside, Washington, along the Okanogan River while work continues in Okanogan, Washington, in Clark Fork, Idaho, and Plains, Montana.
Engineers in Clark Fork, Idaho, are conducting erosion protection work along the Johnson Creek Road on the Clark Fork River near Clark Fork. Crews continue rock placement to combat erosion at the Mill Street Bridge in the town of Okanogan along Salmon Creek as well as levee strengthening in Plains, Montana. Teams are providing technical assistance to Missoula County, Montana, St. Maries, Idaho, and Yakima County, Washington, and the Kalispel Tribe.
The Seattle District has provided about 658,000 sandbags so far to Okanogan County, Pend Oreille County and Tonasket in Washington; Missoula County in Montana; Bonner County, Idaho; and to the Kalispel and Colville Confederated Tribes. USACE has provided 2,800 Supersacks to Missoula County and Okanogan County, and two pumps to the Okanogan basin. An additional 600,000 sandbags are en route to Okanogan County, Washington, and Missoula County, Montana.
Warm temperatures combined with above normal snow levels have created a situation where Pend Oreille River flows downstream of Albeni Falls Dam are likely to remain above flood stage through the 10-day forecast period and beyond. Flows on the Pend Oreille River and Lake Pend Oreille are now forecast to meet or possibly exceed 2011 levels.
Slides from the May 11 public meeting in Cusick regarding flood preparation and response and Pend Oreille River forecasts are available on line at:
http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Locks-and-Dams/Albeni-Falls-Dam/
Seattle District’s Okanogan River basin flood team has completed assistance to Okanogan County with berm construction in Oroville at Highway 97 to reduce the flood risk to infrastructure, as well as berm construction in Conconully and levee strengthening in Okanogan.
Flood fight teams are coordinating with the States of Washington, Idaho and Montana. Agency representatives will continue to coordinate with the Tribes, counties and cities along the rivers.
Public Law 84-99 authorizes USACE to provide flood fight assistance at the request of local officials when rivers are at or above flood stage and local resources are fully used.
Private citizens seeking sandbags should contact their local government offices.
USACE coordinates closely with the National Weather Service. The Weather Service issues flood watches and warnings and should be consulted for that information.