The 2018 Flood VI - Enough, Already!*

I believe this picture came from here: https://cleanlakesalliance.org/

The lakes had been high all summer so far, see my pic from earlier this year here, then on August 20 western Dane County received the worst of a rainstorm and got 10-15 inches.  Surrounding areas, including us, also got many inches of rain but the double digits got the headlines.  Much of that water flowed to the Wisconsin River and much of it flowed to the Yahara chain of lakes, starting with Lake Mendota.

The Tenney Lock and Dam have been tested, but have held admirably.  Lake Mendota drains through that lock and dam (1), into the Yahara River crossing the isthmus to Lake Monona.  If the dam fails, this influx of water is what will flood many low parts of the isthmus and Lake Monona.

Lake Monona has gotten higher than it's ever been. It drains through another branch of the Yahara, one that has had to be weeded in the past because they slow the flow, directly into Lake Waubesa, which then has another lock and dam (2) before draining into Lake Kegonsa which also has a lock and dam (3) that then drains via a lengthy part of the Yahara River and a couple more dams (4,5) until ultimately flowing into the Rock River.  That's the basics, and this is a map to help you visualize it easier if you're not from here.

You can see how it will take time to let all that water flow.  If we were to get any substantial amount of rainfall in a short amount of time, any similar deluge as before, anytime before winter we will be having perhaps much bigger problems.  I should note that it has not rained since the last rain spell I posted of last week, and no real chance is forecast until later next week.  I've been paying attention to the forecast a bit more these days.

There are reasons to keep the lakes high and reasons to lower them to natural levels, and proponents for each have been heard in this renewed debate, despite the problem at hand continuing and expected to continue until at least winter.  I think they should be lowered below the level they've been kept despite the issues for boaters and pier owners.  In time, all would adapt.  Then the next time something like this happens there will be the capacity to hold and handle the flow of water without flooding.  Seems so obvious, why doesn't it just happen? [Insert political crap here.]

Random green fire pit picture.

I got out for a bike ride today, just down to the lake and back, less than an hour overall but my joints are feeling it now (and the reason I didn't go yesterday).  I got some good pictures to share, the first few are from a bike ride the other day and the rest are from this morning - except for one picture I stole a screenshot of from goggle maps.  It shows the rocks that should normally be visible on the sides of this stretch of Starkweather Creek.  Since they lakes have been kept overly full the last couple years a cursory search didn't find a similar picture in my albums of the last couple years.  But I have posted pictures of this and these other places in the past so you can seek them out for before and after shots if you wish.

Pictures and comments after the break!

*Originally titled with IV instead of VI - sorry!

Another Birthday Vacation

I had yet another birthday recently, they seem to come faster and faster.  My wife made snacks and we had some people over last Saturday evening to celebrate.  Thanks to all who came over!  I took the week off for my birthday again this year but, once again, I had no big projects planned but a reasonable list of chores I wanted to get done.  And sleep, sleep is very good.  As I type the chore list is mostly complete but we'll just have to see how the rest goes.

Otherwise, I've been out on the bike a couple times and got some more pictures of the swollen creek.  I've not made it all the way to a lake yet, but I do plan on biking to probably Olbrich Park later today or tomorrow.  I know I have pictures of the shoreline from winter to compare to, well, we'll just see what I find.  Lake Monona has been up to 3 feet over it's predetermined maximum, as reflected in the creek.  I'll put another Flood post together in a day or two.

In other happenings, the Packers and Badgers have started playing so there goes much of my time on weekends for the next few months.  My mom broke her foot - sorry ma, I'm not traveling during my vacation but I'm sure Dan is taking very good care of you.  I hope you get well soon.  And I'm still enjoying the fire pit almost every chance I get.  Even just sitting by the fire for an hour or two in the evening is so simple yet lowers the stress of every day life - but you'd better have mosquito repellent!

Just a dragonfly I spotted recently.

The 2018 Flood V - Rain Accumulation

The rain has continued this past week, as we watched nervously.  Water levels had been going down a bit until yesterday when we got more rain all day.  Nothing as drastic as what got us in this mess but yesterday was a very wet day, indeed, and on ground that is already water logged.  The good news is that the next several days look dry so hopefully we can get those water levels down a bit more.  I'd like to go down and get a picture of the creek right now but I just mowed the lawn so I already have enough mosquito bites to last me for a while...



Not a lot happening to speak of, otherwise.  We do plan on having people over for a fire pit on Saturday night and I have time off coming up.  Maybe I'll find something else to write about then!

The 2018 Flood IV - Political Waters

It's been two weeks since the heavy rains of August 20 washed in to flood streets, homes and businesses, and there is no end in sight.  Lake levels were already about a foot higher than their predetermined maximum, now releasing the water down through the lakes and the flooding it will cause is making this a political issue once again.  Meanwhile, we have streets that have been underwater this whole time.  Let's just hope we keep avoiding any heavy rainfalls for a while.  Oh, it also rained another inch last night.

I found a very good website for information on the lakes, dams and water levels for our Yahara chain of lakes, link here.  And I also found the short video below, posted two days ago, of the Tenney Park area.  I'm sure it looks very similar still, especially after last night.



I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend.  I've been taking it pretty easy so far, but I may get out for a bike ride today.  Last night we had a fire before the rains came and cooked pizza and fruit pudgie pies in the coals. They were good but I burnt the first one and they did make quite a mess!

The 2018 Flood III - Ducks Don't Mind

This picture from a couple hours ago is looking back upstream from the bridge in the picture from the last post.  Water levels are the same, but the ducks don't seem to mind.  Normally you would see big rocks on the sides of this part of Starkweather Creek, still very underwater.  Thankfully, recent rains have not not been enough to very much worsen the issue.



The city posted a map of properties to notify because of the danger of flooding.  On our street there's surprisingly just one, a few houses down and across the street on the end, by the creek.  For the water to make it up the hill to our house there would have to be some catastrophic happenings, thankfully for us - and not very likely.  I thought of stopping by the lake on my way home today so I could show the difference compared to earlier photos, but didn't due to traffic.  I'll see if I get a chance this upcoming holiday weekend.

The 2018 Flood II

I went down by the creek today to see how it looked, not quite as full as yesterday and there is a slight flow to it again today.  Yesterday it was fuller and stagnant, which tells me it was at lake level.  Still, it's going to take a while for the waters to go down, and we have a chance for rain and thunderstorms the next few days yet.  You can see here how the creek may be too full for canoes and kayaks to make it under the bridges very easily.

Across the city, many home and business owners are trying to dry out and assess the damage.  As far as I know there is still flooded areas and roads on the isthmus and all across western Dane County.  I have not heard anything about the Tenney Lock and Dam, so that's probably a good thing.  Reports can be found online pretty easily, starting with here and here.

We've had no water in the basement since the big rainstorm earlier in the week.  When we get water in the basement it just runs toward the drain, but there are a few areas where it pools so we squeegee it towards the drain and turn on the dehumidifier.  It is now dry again and I don't think we'll get any more unless it rains again soon.

Terry sent us some pics of the marina where she keeps her boat that I'll put after the break.  I don't think she'll mind me posting them - thanks Terry!  The water's edge is normally on the other side of the open structure you'll see, and now is right up to the buildings.

The 2018 Flood

We've had rain recently.  The other night we had 10-13 inches in the western part of Dane County.  Madison is in the middle of the county and it was literally down the center, and we are just east of that line.  We had several inches of rain here too, by the way, even had to bring up the rugs in the basement, but no major issues.  In other parts of the city that amount of water had an immediate - and in many places an ongoing - effect, and in the days after the water is running it's course, down the chain of lakes, starting with Mendota.

I don't want to write a lot, I'm tired.  But I haven't posted much and this is very significant to us.  Below you will see pictures stolen from the neighborhood farcebook group page along with pictures I took during a bike ride last year.  The Yahara/East Washington bridge below, a few of the Tenney Lock after the break, and a last tired thought at the end.

My picture, last September.

Recent farcebook picture

August This-And-Thats

Well, I've been trying to get to this for about a week now.  The longer I wait the longer the post will be, so time to start typing and see what spills out!

• I have a fire almost every good weather evening that I don't have to work the next day.  How do you invite people?  I could text all my friends every weekend, but that seems too tedious and a bother.  It's nice to have good conversation around the fire but I have nothing against sitting out there by myself.  I guess we'll just have to plan things like we used to, so if you're reading this then save the date - September 8th.  But if it's good weather then I'm probably around the fire on weekends and all I know are welcome to stop by whenever they wish.
• Speaking of fires, I'm very happy with the wood I bought.  It's easy to light and burns a pretty long time.  Even though it is split into manageable logs I wind up splitting some further into smaller pieces for getting the fire started and also for the end of the night when it's just too late to put on a full log.
• I did take a lot of pictures at Atwoodfest.  Too many, I'm told.  Me running around to get good pictures seems to have put a slight damper on the day for the people I was with.  I know I've been getting into picture taking quite a bit for the last couple years, but I have to remember to let it happen and not try to be a reporter for the blog.
• Since we lost the tree in back we have lots less bastard squirrels and lots more bastard rabbits.  The rabbits have taken to lounging in our back yard, seemingly mocking us and the cats.  I'd love to get a slingshot or something but my wife won't allow that.  And if I run off the rabbits what will replace them?  Still, have a little respect and run from me, you little bastards!  I did see a hawk on the back fence the other day, so hopefully that will put a little fear in them.
• The squirrels haven't totally moved out, either.  I saw one coming out of the garage a few days ago.  Seems he found my sunflower seeds on my workbench and sat there feasting for a while.  Shells all over the place!  He didn't even seem to mind the dill pickle flavor.
• My first morning in my new position I learned that my old boss just got fired that morning and his boss had been "reassigned."  Surprised me, but didn't shock me.   A month or two earlier the VP was let go.  That department is a mess, and of its own management's doing.  I was there, I watched it happen but they didn't listen to us.  I hope this is the start of making things better over there, but I'm glad as hell it's not my problem anymore.  That should be the end of my shop talk now for a long time.
• We should be getting another quarter cow very soon now.  Later than the last couple years, but we haven't quite run out of meat yet, either, but almost.  I hope we have a little more advance warning this time.  Last year we got the call the day of, and I had a job interview to go to and my wife was limited in lifting just after surgery.  She managed getting it all put away last year, but I should be around this time.
• It's August already and the last food cart night down at Atwood was this last week.  We didn't make it every week, but that's mostly because neither did they.  There was never 4 carts as advertised, and the ones that did show up after the first couple weeks all seemed to be of the Asian flavor - not my taste.  There's lots more food carts out there, so why weren't they here?  So, it was nice in theory, anyway.

That's enough for now, I think.  Football season is almost upon us so cheers for the Badgers and Packers.  The bikes have been unused recently mostly due to heat and humidity, but there's a little laziness in there, too.  All in all, having a nice summer though, and I hope you are, too!