Missouri River Flood 2011: part 1

If you haven't heard the news ... here it is in a nutshell:

The Missouri River is rapidly rising due to full reservoir conditions up river at Lake Sakakawea (also in North Dakota). Rivers flowing into the reservoir are very full and producing much more water than the dam can handle. Thus, the Army Corps of Engineers are releasing LOTS of water into the river to reduce stress on the dam. They are increasing the output/water levels daily (even hourly).

As I write this, the river is at 14.5 feet.
My favorite river monitoring chart can be found here.
We are told that the river will most likely rise at least two four more feet in the very near future.

The Corps said they will increase releases from the dam to 85,000 cfs by Monday. That is up from 75,00 cfs tomorrow. Releases are currently at about 60,000-65,000 cfs.

...

So, yesterday we helped my grandparents attempt to secure their river bank in hopes that it won't be washed into the river. This is their summer cabin, a very loved place for us.

On a normal year, the river is well below this walkway (I'd guess about 10 feet below the level shown here).

We'd usually have the boat dock attached to this walkway. Yesterday it looked more like a diving platform.

Here are the guys (from back: Grandpa Darwin, Uncle Bob, Corey, and my mom's cousin's husband Rod) – nailing tarps to the walkway and railroad ties in hopes that it will help hold the bank from washing into the river. The walkway was already very saturated and water was lapping over parts of it.

Today, in a effort to preserve the fragile shorelines, a "no wake zone" was issued for the entire river between Burleigh and Morton counties (all of the river between Bismarck and Mandan).

Our house is high and dry, so I doubt we'll have any water trouble, but we have many friends and family that will experience affects from this water.

Here are a collection of aerial photos taken by the National Guard

and the most recent article from the Bismarck Tribune: Ready for 75,000 cfs? Bismarck braces for bigger Missouri River

and the Facebook page for the North Dakota Flood Info Center (hosted by the Bismarck Tribune)

and a 2011 Flood Map Book from the City of Bismarck:
Click on this link: http://www.bismarck.org/index.aspx?nid=651
then scroll all the way down, to the bottom right item "2011 Flood Map Book"
It is big, so it will take a LONG time to load - be patient, this one is very detailed and definitely worth it. I think they are updating this packet with the new/higher river levels. I'll post again when they have it available.