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.