PSA--Yellowstone Closed!

[Where's Bruce?]

In general I agree but the record flow for rock creek in red lodge was something like 1320 CFS in 1935. It was over 2000 CFS before the gauge broke yesterday. Nothing close to this has happened there since people have been there. There's a sliding scale to things.. I'm not going to say people shouldn't live in OK because there's a statistically higher chance that a tornado might tear up your house.

Rivers always rise though it may be a once a century thing. Mother Nature is unpredictable. If you live on the river you must accept your home may end up in the river. Personally I don't see it worth the risk. You can lose everything you have ever owned just that quick. When that happens it is no comfort to know the odds were against it. I apply the same logic to buying a home in Tornado Alley. Why even consider it? Is your dog named Toto? Even if you make it underground in time...you still lose everything you own.

https://imgur.com/pWZVLWj

 

[Josh Boyd]

I don't think Billings has seen it's peak ever flow, only highest for this date. As for the others, it was pretty unbelievable. Lamar river peaked 4.5 ft higher than previous peak....I doubt they will ever even get a decent flow estimate because it is so outside of normal.

The USGS gage at Billings is currently over it's previous maximum and climbing. The recorded values in the upper end of the Yellowstone basin all smashed the previous recorded peak discharges and I will be really curious to see what the calculated return interval of this event will be. And FYI...there is a way to calculate flows after the fact using indirect methods. But it looks like the Lamar gage was operational during the peak. The numbers at that site are mind blowing.

 

[Elk97]

Just read that the Clark Fork is way over the highest ever recorded. What a mess, that north loop road is going to take years to repair. I haven't seen any reports of deaths/injuries, hope that continues

 

[TL406]

I don't think Billings has seen it's peak ever flow, only highest for this date. As for the others, it was pretty unbelievable. Lamar river peaked 4.5 ft higher than previous peak....I doubt they will ever even get a decent flow estimate because it is so outside of normal.

Yeah, you are right. Standing record was in 1997 (85,000 cfs). Sitting at 80,700 cfs currently…we’ll see where we’re at in the morning.

 

[S.Clancy]

The USGS gage at Billings is currently over it's previous maximum and climbing. The recorded values in the upper end of the Yellowstone basin all smashed the previous recorded peak discharges and I will be really curious to see what the calculated return interval of this event will be. And FYI...there is a way to calculate flows after the fact using indirect methods. But it looks like the Lamar gage was operational during the peak. The numbers at that site are mind blowing.

I saw it did peak over 15 ft last night, over the 97' crest.

Upper Yellowstone and Stillwater was crazy. I did a quick Log Pearson of the flow data at the Stillwater site....kept getting >500 yr event. Thats bananas.

Edit: just checked this morning, Yellowstone at Billings is 16.2 ft, 1.2 ft over 97' peak. 1997 was massive, craziness.

 

[Josh Boyd]

I saw it did peak over 15 ft last night, over the 97' crest.

Upper Yellowstone and Stillwater was crazy. I did a quick Log Pearson of the flow data at the Stillwater site....kept getting >500 yr event. Thats bananas.

Edit: just checked this morning, Yellowstone at Billings is 16.2 ft, 1.2 ft over 97' peak. 1997 was massive, craziness.

Those real time gages are awesome! I wish there were a few more to plug the holes in certain areas of the state.


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[S.Clancy]

How does a flood on a scale as this one effect trout fishing? I was recently exploring some new country along a river in my area, where a hellacious wildfire followed by a atmospheric river event several months later occurred and the river is empty of trout. A lot of deep holes and rocky stretches filled in with sand and silt.

Depends. I dont think this one will have that many negative consequences, there are plenty of areas for fish to find refuge, even in those flows. It will likely be a big positive, as channel remodeling and sediment transport will create a lot of great habitat. You may have to do a lot of boat carrying tho, my guess is a lot of ramps got messed up bad.

 

[S.Clancy]

Those real time gages are awesome! I wish there were a few more to plug the holes in certain areas of the state.


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Yea, it seems like USGS has had trouble funding certain sites, msybe these events will change that....

 

[TL406]

87,200 cfs (8 am), I guess it’s going over the levies on the west end of Billings.

 

[ewade07]

87,200 cfs (8 am), I guess it’s going over the levies on the west end of Billings.

I might have to take an extended lunch and go heck this out. Wonder if it will surpass 90,000?

 

[sneaky]

Send some down to the Colorado River

California would just take it all

 

[sneaky]

I thought the same thing. One hell of a framer on that house. The way it just plopped in and took off like a raft. Truly curious how long it stayed together down river.

5 miles is what I heard before it sunk

 

[sneaky]

Rivers always rise though it may be a once a century thing. Mother Nature is unpredictable. If you live on the river you must accept your home may end up in the river. Personally I don't see it worth the risk. You can lose everything you have ever owned just that quick. When that happens it is no comfort to know the odds were against it. I apply the same logic to buying a home in Tornado Alley. Why even consider it? Is your dog named Toto? Even if you make it underground in time...you still lose everything you own.

https://imgur.com/pWZVLWj

Kinda like living in a state known for earthquakes I guess

 

[downthepipe]

When are we going to invest money into pipelines that move water from one watershed to another (over abundance to drought).

 

[Wallace]

I was walking around Red Lodge on Friday, and it was flooded

Yellowstone River in Billings is sitting at the highest discharge in the 93 year recorded history as we speak. I was just on the bank in Red Lodge this afternoon and drove down the Clark’s Fork from Belfry to Billings. It isn’t even comprehend-able how much water is moving out of the Beartooths.

You can stand and listen to boulders rolling down the river channel underwater through the main drag of Red Lodge. The velocities are insane.

I had never been to Red Lodge before. My sister's husband is from Billings and he has family members with cabins in Red Lodge, we rolled up there last Friday for the day (in town for their daughters baptism). We went by Rock Creek and I mentioned that the water was rolling, I asked is that normal (looked ridiculously fast to me), they told me it was just snow melt, nothing bad. Couple rain storms and 3 days later it is what it is.

 

[wind gypsy]

Rivers always rise though it may be a once a century thing. Mother Nature is unpredictable. If you live on the river you must accept your home may end up in the river. Personally I don't see it worth the risk. You can lose everything you have ever owned just that quick. When that happens it is no comfort to know the odds were against it. I apply the same logic to buying a home in Tornado Alley. Why even consider it? Is your dog named Toto? Even if you make it underground in time...you still lose everything you own.

https://imgur.com/pWZVLWj

I assume you've come to terms with the risk you've taken on a 500 year earthquake wrecking CA?

 

[WCB]

When are we going to invest money into pipelines that move water from one watershed to another (over abundance to drought).

Terrible idea.

 

[downthepipe]

Terrible idea.

I bet the reservoir managers in central and northern Montana (where storage levels are 10-25% of normal) would love to move some of the Yellowstone water up north a few hundred miles for storage. Yeah it’s costly and not energy efficient… but this type of thing, along with investing more in better storage, will be happening a lot more in the future.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Like most of the western USA, we here in Cal. are into our fourth year of below normal rainfall, way below. During the wet years you can go by one of the many flood control canals ( they are called rivers out here) and watch trillions of gallons of rain water flow on its way to the ocean. These canals run anywhere from 15 ft. wide by 12 ft. deep too, 300 ft. wide and 30 ft. deep. I have asked myself many times, why hasn't the effort, and yes expense been put into pumping a lot of that water in to catch basin up and down the canals. Much of the land along these canals are of the industrial type, and storage could be built and not effect residential areas. Where I live there have been a few 500,000 gallon under ground storage tanks put in to catch rain water, if we ever get any, all of which is intended for irrigation for city parkways and freeway landscaping. There is no reason not to use that water for household use during times of drought, which are often out here. The expense would be high but, something needs to be done to collect the water, rather than letting it run out to the ocean.

 

[KurtR]

I bet the reservoir managers in central and northern Montana (where storage levels are 10-25% of normal) would love to move some of the Yellowstone water up north a few hundred miles for storage. Yeah it’s costly and not energy efficient… but this type of thing, along with investing more in better storage, will be happening a lot more in the future.

Dont be funneling our water from the missouri river reservoirs the barges down south steal enough as it is.