For those of you not in touch with the Mississippi River. The river this spring is doing one of its historic high floods. Even though it was low almost all of last summer. Apparently there was a enough winter snow pack in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. To set those of us down stream for record high water.
The highest flood level ever recorded here at LaCrosse 17.89 ft was on 4/22/1965. I was 9 years old then and being it was big news. I have plenty of recollections of where lots of water was at that time.
The next highest record 16.41 ft occurred on 4/18/2001. I was working out of a fire station in the 1965 flood zone. So in an effort to show there could be problems if a dike should fail flood the area. They moved our equipment to another station and we bunked there a couple nights. Until river started dropping.
The 3rd place record high was 15.70 ft on 4/20/1969. I was 12 at that time and recall shooting couple carp with bow from top one of the dikes.
So anyways the stars have lined up again. The powers to be say that the river is looking to be in the 16 ft range some time this week here at LaCrosse. That has the potential to bump the current 3 place record to 4th or the 2nd place to 3rd??
All I know is that it is a lot of water and the now 22 Year olds have never seen it before.
For anyone who has seen the Grumpy Old Men movies. I see pictures today of Slippery's bar from up in Wabash where parts of movie was filmed.
Thought I would steal and share them.




Shouldn't get to crazy here long as dikes hold and pumps work. Do know that with dead trees on islands from ash bores and trees griddle by ice. Going to be lots of wood coming down river going South.


Mac

Got my back up sump pump ready to go today.Hope it doesn’t rain in the next 2 weeks.

We still have lots more to melt and send you too. I believe we broke and all time record for snowfall here this winter.

Slippery's is right on the water. Been there a couple of times and always wondered what it might look like during a flood. Well, there it is.

Was 13 in '65 and Holmen schools cut us kids loose on Brice Prairie for 3 days to help sandbag. We lived three houses upstream of Alvin Blackdeer's camp. My brother and I helped the crew sandbag his basement wall and possibly saved it from the high water and waves that were coming across the lake over the breached breakwater. Had so many critters in the backyard. And the 'rat trapping was about normal that next season if memory serves correctly. Tremendous.

We found quite a few skiffs and homemade canoes that spring. Ran out through the bottoms to the main channel and would lash them to the side of the jon boat and bring them back to the landing. I vividly recall all the human turds we saw floating in the main river.

You can find many pictures of the La Crosse area flooded at that time. Just Google La Crosse river flood 1965 and click on image.

Good luck to all on the river. Down here Prairie du Chien is taking a whack. We're due to rendezvous on the island in June, hopefully things will be back to normal by then.

You cannot and never will Control Mother Nature. The best you can do is flex and adapt!!

Muskrat
Someone posted this picture of the federal landing the other day. Would have of course been more water there in 1965. I've been telling people that have never seen it this high before. To not only look at it from along the river. But to drive up grandad's bluff or Apple Blossom Dr in Lacresent. Once you see the river valley from up on the bluff. It's really an eye opener. I have to wonder when I look at all the places that are filled in now. River more of a channel compared to 1965. Where would the water go now that filled those low areas in 1965. Got to go somewhere guess just higher?

Here is the landing by Moosetrots house. If Ray flushes his toilet and it runs over. Lots people down stream going to really be in trouble.



Mac

Notiyit rising every night at St. Louis the best is yet to come, sorry to see your property get damaged by this Ty

That’s crazy compared to here the East end of the State (SD) has some high water. I just went through there the other day when heading down to MO. Not seeing a lot of signs of runoff in most places along the way south, low water levels in many places creeks are an easy crossing ponds have low water levels.

A lot of water still coming down the pike from the Yellowstone and Missouri river drainages. Both are full and a lot more melt to coming. I'm on the Yellowstone and it went out great this year as well as the Missouri river.

Hasn’t been warm enough here to really start melting yet.

What's it looking like for the people up on Red River? They got hammered more than once up that way when snow was heavy like this year.

Mac

Mac, I remember the flood of 93 and how it looked in the quad cities area. I was surprised that wasn’t in top 5 for lacrosse. I remember seeing cars almost completely covered over their tops.

She's up there for sure! I am hoping this high water event is going to flush out some of the sloughs and other areas that have filled in a lot in the last 10-20 years. It's at the point longtails and other mud motors are nearly a necessity to get around out there. I remember using an old 5 hp. Johnson on my duck boat and getting anywhere I needed to go.

The Town of Onalaska is actually offering free sand and sandbags at the Town Hall. Halfway Creek is high and the entire marsh is flooded, but not threatening the road off Brice Prairie...yet.

As usual, we'll all live through it.

Moosetrot

What I posted for river levels is our Lacrosse Guage. It really depends on which pool guage your looking at. As you come south the river gets wider so flood plain much bigger sallower water as go south. So on the part of the river your talking about 1993 might be in their top 5. I cant say I would know without research on it.
I do know that what I think of as a normal river level for us is around 5.5 ft. If we are at 15ft some thing right now. You spread that water over the flood plain. That is a lot of water just to raise it inches.

Mac

Moosetrot , does the corp of engineers ever dredge those sloughs? Potters marsh just above lock and dam 13 they did in 94 I believe and have heard it was going to be done again soon. When they did that a regular motor could get you to most of the blinds but now 30 years later you need a mud motor to get around in it.

Mac, I’m not sure what it’s going to reach here but seen tail end of news report for local here couple days ago and sounded like it was gonna raise up good but didn’t hear enough of report to see if it would surpass 93. I did hear Davenport Iowa was sandbagging and putting up the man made walls for downtown.

Forgot about Half Way creek that's where I trapped the Beaver last spring way up by the church on D.
Dale Emery's Kennel by Midway is kinda on wrong side of the tracks if Half Way creek backs up. He's going have some wet dogs if he isn't sand bagging already..

Mac

Says will reach 22 feet in rock island. Record is 22.7 in 2019 and 93 flood was at 22.67

Got to remember when get south of us there is all water coming out of Wisconsin river too. So all snow north by RdFx up in Wausau area is coming down that water shed. The Iowa side has I think Turkey and Upper Iowa river dumping in. Rock river is somewhere in the mix too not sure how much that comes into play. Lots of water yet to come from various places.

Mac

Still going up here though looks like crest is this week. Boscobel boat landing:





The city has been renovating the landing. Unfortunately they shaved the dike down just a wee bit too far. Now thoughts are to raise that a couple more feet when this is over with for the handicapped trail and fishing piers.

Woodman Green River landing:





Wonder how that Lone Rock bridge project is coming along.

The historic high where we used to live in IL was 25.73 in 2008. Flood stage is 15'. I was there for that and it was sure something to see. The levee gave out and the entire town of Gulfport IL was under water. There was a gas station there and all you could see of it was the roof. Oh here's a pic of Gulfport under water... note all the roofs.



The bridge between IA and IL at Burlington (also shown in that photo) was shut down for months. I lived in IL and worked in IA and I had to go down to Ft. Madison to cross, making my 20 minute drive an hour plus drive all summer long.

Cleary the yanks up yonder ain't doing their fair share in promoting Global Warming like they should be, what, with all the snow they are causing with all of their War on Climate activities they must be doing.

Why do people build on floodplanes

Because they are idiots.

Rivers used to be roads. Roads and rails are next to rivers too. Hence so are towns.

P.S. Where will I find the panfish during high water in May?

Would you rather have em build next to you in the Bush?

Also modern drainage has had a major impact on the severity of the floodplain and expanded it

No,B + B they should be your neighbors,lol.

Even in the desert where do people camp out? Not to far from water water hole right? Don't think there are any major rivers that are totally free flowing any more either. Even small stream and rivers got dams to for reservoirs for various reasons.
Not everyone can live at head waters.
They have tried over the years with dikes and canals to take people out of the flood plain. People don't like to be told where can can't live.

Mac

And it's screwing up my spring beaver trapping, too. From severe drought to record flooding. Can't win.

So I wonder where all those sturgeon will travel to. My hunting partner travels there and has caught lots they they have tagged over the last 10 years

49 er you are right; give the farmers a GPS and let er rip

Turkey is up very little here in ne Iowa, Upper Iowa is probably too. Not much dumping in from Iowa side. Just backing up in to it. But I guarantee the Wisconsin River is bringing a lot of water.

Yes it is Bankrunner, the Wisconsin is out of it banks and bringing a lot of water down. Muskrat posted some photos of the Boscobel and Woodman boat landings. I'm in PDC and it's not good here for the folks a few blocks from me. The saturation of the ground also comes into play here as well. Just drive along the bypass and you can see that.

Badger23
You best put your waders on.
Watching the news this morning water is getting here to where people getting pretty nervous. Sounds like you folks down there in Prairie going to get it worse than us.
Starting to see more and more trash on the move too. This one's going to definitely rearrange the rocks some.

Mac

Most of the towns close to me are close to a river and / or a train track. Towns tend to pull water from rivers if it's feasible. Even most cities in the US are close to a river or some body of water.

Bad Deal

Pretty sure I'll be okay where I'm at Mac. I'm 5 blocks up from main street with an incline as you go. I've been through 2 floods in Bagley when I was there. One in 2001 which surrounded my place and got under my trailer and in the screened in porch then lost my place in the flash flood in July 2007. There was no time to move anything on that one. Floods suck and I feel for anyone who has went through one or is.

Many folks scream about (against) floodplain zoning , then scream again when the floods come.

Probably cause flood insurance helps them rebuild?....

Kinda like here, building second homes on the barrier beach, Hurricane washes them away and the rebuilding starts when the check comes in...

Took these pictures this morning. Usually looking at these dock and boats from where I took the picture. I would be looking down at the roofs of these boats. That may not seem like much water just looking at these pictures. Thing is that it is that much across the whole river valley. Tremendous amount when you think about it that way.






Mac

here is a pic of Lacrosse looking down from grandads bluff
there is old flood plane and a cliff
you can see the other side of the river is about the same
in many places there is very little off the river before it goes vertical

the driftless people thinks looks like mountains when driving through parts of it , but only when your at the bottom from the top you realize that everything was flat and at that height and everything is dug out by the rivers and creeks forming all the contours



nearly every city along the Miss is on a delta some have been there a long time
the cities have levy walls to keep the worst years out , and sometimes those fail

Went for a ride down Wisc side yesterday. Started at Lansing and south, have crossed that dike between Ferryville and Lansing many times and have never seen dead beaver along the road. Saw two that had been hit and counted 6 rats also. This flood is going to affect that population for along time.

I went to school in Wauzeka and started trapping way back then there. So pretty familiar with Wisconsin and the Kickapoo.

Big floods suck.
So many economies are effected.

I drove across the Rock river yesterday. It's down some from a few days ago but still out of the banks most places near East Moline area.

I figured I would see some water over the road but wasn’t expecting white water.

Impressive!

When I first posted this photo I believe it was lock and Dam #7. Looking closer I realized I was wrong no train track at #7 so I've edited it.


Mississippi River Lock and Dam #4 in 1965 record flood level



Mississippi River Lock and Dam #4 now 2023 river level



There saying river will crest tonight or tomorrow at 16+ ft. Guess will see.

Road to Goose Island county park is closed.




Mac

I say it’s crested and won’t hit 16.But could have a second crest before all is said and done.

Mad
Kind of looking that way isn't it. I was up to Black River Falls Monday. Not much water moving there or down the lacrosse river. So probably going to take some rain up north to get any big jump now.

Mac

Sartell Mn Dam last week Thursday. I have not seen all the gates open for nearly 30 yrs. Water still coming from the North

Fountain City made the news.

The Fred Funk Landing (Brice Prairie) is just about completely under.

Moosetrot